Silver Ascension
by Depths of Silence
Summary: [COMPLETE] "Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done." They needed their solace in order to be able to move forward. She was going to do her best to help them, even if that meant bringing back someone who was supposed to be gone. Pietro x OC. [Follows: Avengers: Age of Ultron] [Sequel: 'Breakable Miracles' is up!]
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing. All _Depths of Silence_ owns are the unknown characters.

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 **Summary**

"Everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done." The rise of one soul that had once passed away brought back that which was lost. Pietro x OC.

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 **Silver Ascension  
**

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 **Chapter I**

The agony was throbbing, echoing in the walls as it reverberated through the air. The darkness seemed to close in as the shadows lurked around, whispering undeciphered things. The pain was spreading, consuming her limps, swallowing the air she struggled to take in.

The night was singing...

... Wanda Maximoff was crying.

Resting her arms against the counter, she pressed her head against them. Tears burnt as they fell down her cheeks, her heart beating in her ears as she tried to breathe. Her whole body was shaking, struggling to come back to life.

Her hands glowed red in the dark as she tried to keep her sobs down. It seemed as if gravity was weighting her down, making it impossible for her to even raise her head. Tears continued cascading down her face, her eyes growing red as she felt her lungs burn for oxygen.

In the back of her mind, she sensed someone approaching, but she felt too tired to care.

"You had a nightmare."

Wanda had known who had walked inside the kitchen even before he had spoken. Biting on her lower lip for a moment, Wanda tried to stop the tears as she forced herself to look up. Unsurprisingly, Vision stood by the door, watching her in silence.

"… Yes." she eventually responded in a soft voice, and Vision tilted his head to the side. Looking down, Wanda observed her glowing hands for a few more seconds before her power faded away. Slowly, she pressed a hand against her chest, feeling her heart beat against her rib cage. "I can't make them stop."

"What can I do?" Vision asked as he quietly made his way towards her side, and Wanda shrugged. That had become a routine for them; she would go to the kitchen, and he would eventually show up. She would stay there, feeling pain run through her veins whilst Vision would try to come up with something to do to aid her.

Ever since her twin had died Wanda had never requested for anything. This time, however, it was different.

"Can you hold me?" she asked, her accent growing even heavier at each word. Her eyes met Vision's, and he paused only for a second. Without looking away from her, Vision went to her side, and rested a hand on her shoulder. Wanda closed her eyes, and leaned against his side, trying to take comfort in his touch.

She did not have to concentrate hard to imagine her brother holding her when they had been ten years old. He had always tried his best to watch over her.

 _You know, I am twelve minutes older than you._

Fresh tears threatened to spill as Pietro's voice sang in her ears. Those had been his last words, and she would forever carry the weight of not being with him when he died.

"Your brother would be very proud of you." Vision eventually said, and a shaky laugh escaped Wanda's lips at his choice of words. Looking up, still with her face pressed to his side, Wanda looked at him in the eye.

"Thank you." she said, but all Vision did was smile back at her. Suddenly, the lights were turned on, and Wanda struggled to adjust to the unexpected bright light.

"Sorry, didn't know you guys were already up." Steve Rogers apologized as he walked inside the kitchen, and Wanda immediately straightened up. Vision's hand disappeared from her shoulder as he turned to face Captain America.

"Good morning, Captain." he greeted, "Jogging so early?"

"Couldn't sleep," Steve told him as he reached out for a glass before filling it with water. "Besides, I think Sam is going to try to win again once he gets up, so…" trailing off, he gazed at Wanda. "How are you?"

"Managed not to blow anything up this time," Wanda informed him with a small nod, and Steve gave her a faint smile. "I think I'll take the opportunity to train too."

"As shall I," Vision announced, and Steve nodded at that. After glancing sideways at Vision, Wanda stood up from her seat, and made her way out of the kitchen. It really did not surprise her to see Natasha Romanoff emerging from the shadows, already dressed up for training.

"Good morning," Natasha greeted her with a nod, and Wanda smiled faintly at her before returning the greeting. Then, she made her way towards the training room. She figured Sam and James were still deep asleep, most likely exhausted from the previous day of training.

It also did not surprise Wanda when Vision followed her to the training room.

"I never got the chance to thank you," Wanda said as she turned to face Vision, both waiting for the front doors to open. Vision simply turned to look at her, and Wanda tried to smile, "I mean… For being here with me. Thank you…"

"There is no need to thank me. You're in pain," Vision told her as if that explained everything, and Wanda simply shook her head at that. "I would just like to help you more."

"You already are," Wanda told him as they walked inside, her hand brushing his in the process. "So, would you like to be my sparring partner?"

"Absolutely," Vision answered without a beat, and this time a smile graced his face.

"All right. Let me just go change, and then we can begin." Wanda told him, and Vision nodded at that. With one last smile, Wanda turned her back to him, and made her way towards the changing lockers. Once inside, she gently closed the door behind her, and leaned her back against it.

Her heart was still pounding against her chest as a familiar pain ran up her spine. For a moment, she just stood there, staring at nothing in particular, as the last moment shared with her brother devoured her thoughts. Sometimes she wondered if things could have happened differently had Pietro stayed with her as he had wanted. However, every time that question emerged from the back of her mind, Wanda would push it aside.

Pietro would refuse to let her live in the past.

Raising her chin, Wanda made her way towards her locker, and changed her clothes. As she got ready, she turned around, and looked at herself through the mirror on the opposite side of the lockers. Inwardly, she hoped Pietro would be proud of whom she had become.

She prayed he was happy that she had decided to become an Avenger, and that he was looking out for her whenever he was.

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Nick Fury silently studied the latest reports that had been sent to him. A frown was all over his face, his chin resting on his left hand while he continued holding the papers with his right hand. A long period of silence rolled by until he raised his eye, and stared at the person standing on the other side of his desk. Doctor Helen Cho looked back, hands clasped behind her back. She was observing him with a tranquil expression on her face as opposed to Fury's concerned feelings.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked as he waved the papers around, and Helen nodded. "I thought it wouldn't work."

"Not by itself." Helen agreed with him, "The Cradle in its self is a medical device that can heal wounds by re-growing skin tissue and create synthetic skin tissue."

"Like you did with Hawkeye," Fury pointed out, and Helen nodded once again, "But that's not the case. This is far worse than what happened to Hawkeye. So, how is this possible?"

"I was once told that everything is theoretically impossible, until it is done. As a scientist, I am always more than willing to explore new experiments." Helen explained hands moving as she spoke. "Also, with the help you've found, it'll become easier to go forward with this. If we succeed, then we may very well have crossed the line towards the unknown, and the possibilities are endless."

"But there are risks." Fury pointed, "High risks."

"There are always risks in medicine." Helen told him, "But I have requested for Doctor Goodman's reports and studies. We're already going through them, trying to minimize all possible damages. My team will succeed; I am sure of it."

"This is an extremely high risk." Fury declared, but Helen did not break the eye-contact when she replied.

"But it will be worth it."

For a moment, Fury held the gaze before dropping the papers on top of his desk. Straightening up, he entwined his fingers in front of his chin. Both of them were aware of how critical and of how secretive that particular mission was. If they failed, nothing would be altered, but if they succeeded...

"Then, perhaps, it is time for you to meet the newest member of your team." Fury announced, and Helen looked over her shoulder when she heard the door behind her open. It somewhat surprised her when a nervous brown-haired woman walked inside, looking rather hesitant about approaching them.

"Doctor Helen Cho, I present you Doctor Esther Lewis." Fury introduced the new comer as he stood up from his chair, and walked around his desk, "Both Master Scientist and expert physician. I am sure her expertise in the field of biochemistry will help us in our mission."

"Do you know why you're here?" Helen asked as she turned to face the newcomer, whose brown eyes looked away from Nick Fury to turn to her.

"I've been informed you need help in a high confidential case." Esther responded, arms resting on her sides. "I don't know the details. I was told I'd be briefed once I got here."

"Shall I give you the honours, Doctor?" Fury asked as he reached out for the papers he had been reading before, and Helen gazed at him before turning to the newcomer again. Nodding, she accepted the papers Fury was handing her before turning to Esther.

"Tell me, Doctor Lewis, have you ever tried to do the impossible?" she asked, and Esther blinked at the question.

"Is that a tricky question?" she asked back, and Helen Cho raised the papers in her direction. Looking down at it, Esther raised a hand, but before she could reach out for the papers, Helen spoke again.

"Allow me to rephrase my question," she said, and Esther's eyes met hers, "What do you think about participating in a project which objective is to bring back someone who has been lost?"

Esther looked down at the papers again. A small photograph on the right side of the paper caught her attention as well as her breath. It was impossible for her not to recognize the face she was seeing given the events that had occurred not too long ago.

Sensing that everyone was waiting for her to say something, Esther raised her head again, looking directly at Doctor Helen Cho. Then, she nodded before speaking.

"Let's go create a miracle."

The corners of Helen's lips threatened to curl upwards, but she managed to stop herself in time. Instead, she let Esther grab the papers before turning to Fury.

"I'll send you a report as soon as possible." she said, and Fury nodded in understanding before focusing his attention on Esther. Brown eyes looked back at him, and Fury crossed his arms against his chest.

"You will stay at the New Avengers Facility, where Doctor Cho is already residing. Accommodation arrangements have taken place for you to stay there as well." he informed her, and Esther pressed the papers against her chest. "You will meet the rest of your team there. If you have any questions, feel free to ask Doctor Cho."

"Thank you." Esther nodded as she spoke, "And thank you for inviting me to participate in this assignment. I will do my best to help Doctor Cho, and to help you accomplish this miracle."

"You do realize what's at stake here, don't you?" Fury asked, power emanating from every fibre of his body. "This is a top-secret mission. There will be people at the Facility who will try to find out what you're doing there, but if anything happens you can be sure Doctor Cho will help you."

"I'll keep them in line." Helen said as Esther gazed at her, a small smile on her face.

"Is he there as well?" Esther asked all of a sudden as she looked down at the picture glued to the paper. Although Helen shook her head in reply, it was Fury who spoke.

"He's in a concealed area." he explained, "We had to move fast, and we could not risk endangering the situation even more. It's enough critical as it is."

"We have a codename for our mission," Helen elaborated as she waved a hand in direction of the papers, "If anyone asks, just tell them you're helping me with Silver Ascension."

"Silver Ascension?" Esther repeated, a confused look on her face, "Isn't that... I don't know, a little too obvious?"

"You'd be surprised." Fury responded, once again walking around the table, hands resting against it, "But enough chatting. Go do what you do best."

"Yes," Helen agreed before looking at Esther, "Let's go save a life."

 **To Be Continued…**

So, what did you guys think?


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing aside from the unknown characters.

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I want to thank _ILoveThee_ , _Fenix_ and _LaughterLover98_ for all of your support.

Also, I understand this might be a sudden update, but I figured it was time to show you what I am planning on going with this story. I hope you all enjoy the ride.

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 **Chapter II**

Esther Lewis could not explain the mayhem of feelings that were running through her veins. She barely even acknowledged the fact the car she was occupying was slowing down as she continued studying the papers in her hands.

She still did not understand how she had been pulled into that particular situation. Up until that moment she had been happily working at S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research division, never doing much of field work for loving her laboratory too much. That until two quite scary-looking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had stepped into her lab, demanding that she followed them without asking questions.

She had tried to refuse, but S.H.I.E.L.D. was never one to take _no_ for an answer.

However, as she studied the particular case she was supposed to work on, Esther could not help but wonder what they needed exactly. Although she had managed to conceal her enthusiasm, she had always been a big admirer of Doctor Helen Cho as well as Doctor Bruce Banner. Both of them possessed genius level intellect, and had done remarkable things in medicine.

The Cradle, for example, was something Esther had always dreamt of seeing although she had never expected for her dream to actually happen.

"We're here." Helen announced all of a sudden, and Esther looked up from the papers. Gazing at the window next to her, she blinked at the white building located in the middle of a green meadow. Hastily, she opened the door, and stepped out of the car as Helen did the same, on the other side.

"This is The Avengers Hospital." Helen informed as she walked around the car, but Esther simply stared at the building. "This is where you'll be working most of the time."

"Me?" Esther asked as she turned to look at Helen, who started walking towards the front doors of the hospital. Esther barely noticed the military presence all over the perimeter as she jogged after the world-renowned geneticist. "I thought there was supposed to be a team?"

"There is, but most of them are at the New Avengers Facility." Helen told her as they walked inside the hospital. Esther felt her legs go numb as her eyes widened at what she saw. It was almost as if she was inside a spaceship, with all the white walls and high technology that surrounded her. People in scrubs walked around, not as many as she had expected, but more than enough for noise to tickle her ears, awakening her senses.

"This way," Helen instructed her as she turned right, and Esther quickly followed.

"What am I supposed to do?" Esther asked as they walked down a hallway. Occasionally someone would greet Helen, causing them to stop for a few seconds.

"You are supposed to look after our patient." Helen said as she turned to her, "You see, the Cradle can heal wounds by re-growing skin tissue and create synthetic skin tissue, but that would never be enough. We used the Cradle for more than one month to help him. Now it's time to take a risk."

"I understand, but... Didn't he die?" Esther asked, once again analyzing the papers in her hands. Helen stopped walking at her question, and put a hand on top of the papers. Confused, Esther looked up, and the older doctor tilted her head to the side.

"That's why I asked if you wanted to participate in this project." she said, "We are doctors, and we have dealt with many impossible things in the past. This is just another challenge for us to surpass, and I am certain we will learn a lot from it."

"But... How is this possible?"

"Well, for once no one tried to check for his pulse, having automatically assumed he had died." Helen commented, "However, when they brought him to the hellcarrier, I managed to complete a very thorough examination. I took care of his wounds, and realised that his increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis could result in rapid cell regeneration if something offered his body enough boost to do it."

"Hence the Cradle…" Esther added with a small nod, which Helen returned.

"That was the reason why I contacted the Director immediately. However, there are still risks, which is why we have to be meticulous." she continued, "The Avengers don't know about this. If anyone asks what you're doing at the Facility, just tell them you're working with me."

"But..." Esther paused as she bit her lower lip, her eyes scanning the information in the papers. "If this works, don't you think his team would want to participate in this? And his sister... If she finds out... Don't you think she deserves to know?"

"I understand your concern, but you don't have to worry about that." Helen cut her off, not harshly, but with enough authority to cause Esther to stay quiet. "What truly matters now is that we ought to help him. Everything else is of no concern to us."

"How did he respond to the Cradle?" Esther asked as both of them started walking again, towards the end of the hallway. "After everything he went through, I assume his body went into shock. Have you tried to determinate if there has been brain damage?"

"That is one of my main concerns; his brain was starved of oxygen for a prolonged period of time. Also, given his high-risk behavior and his age, the odds are unfortunately against him." Helen confessed as they finally reached one closed door. Esther inwardly took in the name _Project Silver Ascension_ written just above the computer that was requesting for an eye scan.

"Your main job is to observe any cognitive, perceptual, physical or behavioral symptoms that may be displayed once he wakes up." Helen continued as Esther stopped in front of the computer, and allowed for the eye scan to occur. As a voice welcomed both her and Helen, the door of the room opened automatically. "You are allowed to do neurological exams, MRI and CT scans as well as neuropsychological assessments. You will also help him go through with his rehabilitation."

Nodding, Esther followed Helen inside the room, but felt her heart skip a beat at what she saw.

There was only one bed in the room, occupied by a young man with light hair. His arms were resting on top of the blankets, wrapped in bandages as well as his entire torso. Machines beeped around him, one of which was monitoring his heart beat. He was not using a ventilator, instead an oxygen mask was concealing part of his face, the hiss of oxygen pumping into his lungs occasionally echoing in the air.

Without even thinking, Esther abandoned Helen's side, and quietly made her way towards the bed. Her eyes scanned the man's body, silently taking in his physical condition. If he indeed had rapid cell generation then his wounds were most likely almost if not already completely healed. All they could hope was that his brain could deal with the damage caused to his body.

As her eyes settled on his face, Esther raised a hand, and rested it on top of his. He was quite warm, surprisingly so, and Esther looked away from him to gaze at Helen.

"So, he's going to be our miracle, yes?"

"Yes," Helen reassured her, and Esther looked down at the sleeping man again. Unconsciously, she ran her thumb over his hand at same time she took a deep breath through the nose.

"We'll take care of you," she whispered, the sound of his heart rate vibrating throughout the room, "Pietro Maximoff."

Two hours later, both Helen and Esther could be found arriving at The New Avengers Facility. Esther surprise was even bigger when she saw the beautiful building, and her heart somersaulted when she realized how full it was. It made the hospital look quite deserted as people dressed in scrubs, suits and military clothing wandered around. There was also more noise as people chatted, stopping even in the middle of the hallways to debate about projects and missions.

The outside walls were made of glass, making it possible for everyone to see the clear sky and the beautiful surroundings. Once again, Esther was attacked by the sudden doubt that perhaps there had been a mistake, and that she did not deserve to be there.

"Doctor Cho!" a voice called out, and both women turned around to see a man dressed in scrubs running their way. "We need your assistance in one of our projects."

"Of course, I'm on my way." Helen told him before turning to Esther, "I'm really sorry. Do you think you'll manage to find your way through the Facility?"

"Yeah, I think so..." Esther answered with a small nod, and Helen smiled faintly at her.

"All right then, let me just give you your access card." Helen said as she took a card from her pocket, and handed it to Esther. "This way no one will bother you. Everything concerning our project is already in your bedroom. I'll see you as soon as I can."

With that said, Helen turned around, and walked away with the man. Crossing her arms against her chest, Esther looked around, trying her best to stay away from anyone that could run into her.

Not really knowing which way to go, Esther decided to go left. Unfortunately, there was nothing on the walls that could indicate if she was going in the right direction. Instead, Esther occasionally gazed at the various departments as she walked past them, trying to find anything remotely familiar.

She wondered what her cousin would say when she found out about her whereabouts...

As she tried to blend in, Esther went up a staircase, and blinked when she realized there was only one door at the end of the hallway. Glancing around, she noticed no one was there except for her. Gazing at the door again, Esther took a deep breath, and made her way towards it.

"You do know this place has limited access, right?" a voice spoke all of a sudden, causing Esther to let out a shriek of surprise. Pressing a hand against her chest, she twirled around, and found herself facing an African-American man, dressed up as military, "And I definitely do not recognize your face from anywhere. What are you doing here?"

"Oh, err... I think I'm lost." Esther said as she lowered her hand, and the man raised an eyebrow at that. "Doctor Cho was called to go take care of something, and I was left to find my way. I didn't know this place had limited access. I'm really sorry."

"I'm not sure how to deal with this. You may have broken a couple of laws just by being here." the man stated as he crossed his arms against his chest, a serious expression on his face. "Who are you?"

"I'm Esther Lewis. I was invited to come here, and help Doctor Cho with one of her projects." Esther responded as she tried hard to control her anxiety. Had she really broken laws just by walking up the stairs? "I'm a scientist."

"I figured you were if you're here to help Doctor Cho." the man stated before dropping his arms. As soon as he gave the first step forward, Esther had to stop herself from cowering away. He was not that much taller than she was, but he still left quite the impression. Suddenly, the serious mask was replaced by a smile as he extended a hand towards her, "The name's Sam Wilson."

"... Nice to meet you," Esther greeted him after a moment in silence, and she shook his hand. "Once again, I'm really sorry for coming up here. I was just trying to find my way around."

"No worries, I was kidding about breaking the law." Sam told her, and Esther managed to offer him a relieved although feeble smile. "Anyway, as you've probably already noticed, this is definitely not the way. I can show it to you, if you'd like."

"I'd really appreciate that." Esther confessed, and Sam let out a laugh. If his loud laughter meant anything, then Sam seemed to be quite the carefree guy as opposed to the rigid soldier she had seen the minute before.

"C'mon. Let's go downstairs. I'll just inform the Cap I'll be late." Sam told her as he made his way towards the stairs, and Esther blinked at that before going after him.

"I don't want you to get in trouble. Just tell me the way, and I'll figure it out." she told him, and Sam raised an eyebrow at that.

"And let you find yourself in another limited access area? I don't think so." he pointed out, and Esther felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment. "Besides, it's really not a problem. It gives me a few more minutes to prepare for training."

"You're an Avenger?" Esther decided to ask, and Sam smirked before pointing a thumb towards his chest.

"The Falcon at your service." he introduced himself, and Esther found it impossible not to smile back at him, "And apparently your newest guide too. Let's make sure you at least learn your way to the dorm area."

"Are you living here too?" Esther asked, and Sam nodded.

"Yeah, me and all the other Avengers. Doctor Cho has a room there as well." he informed her as he gesticulated a little, "Tony wanted to make sure we had everything here. I still think he kicked us out of his tower because he wanted to be all alone with his fiancée if you catch my drift."

"Tony Stark designed this building?" Esther asked in awe as she looked around. Sam snorted.

"Well, he'd tell you he both designed and built this place, but he kind of forced us to participate in lifting the heavy stuff so..." he shrugged, "You can imagine the Avengers carrying cement, wood, and steel around. It was quite the sight."

"I can imagine." Esther told him with a small smile as she watched Sam wave towards two military men in greeting. "So, I guess I'll eventually bump into all of you, right?"

"Well, it depends. If the Captain is feeling generous, he'll probably send us on missions no one else wants. I guess it makes part of being the new guys around here." Sam pointed out as he turned to her again, "But yeah, I guess you'll eventually spot us around. We can't have Doctor Cho tiring you out all the time."

"Thank you... I guess." Esther added while making a face, and once again Sam laughed at her reaction. That was when they reached two doors. For the second time on that day, a computer requested for an eye scan as well as their access cards. As soon as the doors automatically opened, Esther found herself stepping into a long hallway with doors on both sides.

"So I better tell you that the later you arrive at the Facility, the longer you'll have to walk down the hallway." Sam informed her as they walked. Then, he started pointing at the names written on the walls, next to the doors. "You can either ask for a password or a palm scan to be used so that you can keep your room secured. Just make sure you tell F.R.I.D.A.Y. what you want."

"Who's Friday?" Esther asked, raising an eyebrow, and a female voice came out from the walls.

"That would be me, Miss Lewis."

"Bloody hell!" Esther cursed before pressing a hand to her lips. Turning to Sam, who was observing her with amusement, she blushed. "Sorry, I don't usually curse."

"That's quite all right. I think someone here will appreciate that." Sam told her with a smirk, "But to answer your question; F.R.I.D.A.Y. is Stark's new artificial intelligent computer system after J.A.R.V.I.S. was uploaded into Vision."

Esther was not entirely sure about who Vision was, but decided not to ask.

"Anyway, if you look here, you can see that the two first rooms belong to Steve Rogers a.k.a. Captain America and Natasha Romanoff, also known as the Black Widow." Sam continued as he pointed to the first two doors, one across from the other. "Then there's mine, and across from me is James Rhodes or War Machine. Then there's Vision's room, though I'm pretty sure he doesn't use it and after him there are–"

"To whom does the room across from his belong to?" Esther interrupted Sam, and he stared weirdly at her for a moment. When Esther pointed towards the said room, Sam let out a sigh.

"That would be Doctor Bruce Banner's room." he said, "But he's not with us at the moment."

"Is he out on a mission?" Sam glanced sideways at her, and Esther knew she had asked the wrong question. "Sorry, it's not my business."

"It's ok, it's just that... It's kind of a long story, and we really don't have time for it right now." Sam explained, and Esther promptly nodded in understanding. "Anyway, then we have Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch and Doctor Helen Cho's rooms. Then there's finally yours, right at the end of the food chain, next to Wanda's room."

"Wanda Maximoff as in Pietro Maximoff's twin sister?" Esther blurred out, and Sam looked surprised at her as they stopped in front of the door that apparently led to her room.

"… Yeah. I guess you saw the news, huh?" Sam asked, and Esther saw the sad look on his face. "If you ever come across Wanda, don't mention Quicksilver unless she does it first, ok? It's been a tough couple of months, and she's still dealing with the loss of her twin."

"Of course, don't worry." Esther reassured him, and Sam smiled in gratitude at her. Then, he rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Anyway, I better go before Natasha decides to throw me in front of a truck for being late." Sam joked, but Esther looked horrified. At her expression, Sam continued, "Just kidding. She just takes everything way too seriously. Kind of like Cap, but in a far more terrifying way."

"Good luck, then, and I'm really sorry." Esther apologized, and Sam shrugged.

"At least you were at the wrong place with the right person." he said before dropping his hand, "I'll see you around, Doctor Lewis."

"Esther is fine." the young doctor told him, and Sam nodded in understanding before waving a hand in goodbye. Without looking over his shoulder, he made his way out of the dorm area. Taking a deep breath, Esther stared at the computer next to her bedroom's door, and thought about Sam's advice.

"Err... Friday?" she called out as she stared at the ceiling.

"Yes, Miss Lewis?"

"To make things simple, I'll chose the password, if that's all right with you." Esther said as she gazed at the numeric keypad. "Do I... I don't know, have to tell you what it is?"

"No, Miss Lewis, I'll have full access to it out once you use it," the female voice informed her, and Esther nodded at that before raising a hand towards the numeric keypad. After a couple of minutes, and after making sure she had gotten the password right, Esther watched as the door was automatically unlocked.

Slowly, she pushed it open, her mouth dropping at the sight in front of her.

There was a king sized bed right in the middle of the bedroom. The wall across from where she was standing was made entirely of glass. There was a huge desk, and Esther noticed her laptop was there as well, which made her blink in surprise.

Gazing at the bed one last time, Esther fought against the desire to try out the mattress, and made her way towards the desk. Quickly, she turned her laptop on before reaching out for the file that had been placed next to it. There was also a pen disk close by, where she would keep all information regarding _The Silver Ascension_ project.

As she opened the file, Esther found herself gazing at the photo of Pietro Maximoff. His blue eyes seemed to emanate sprightliness, but the smirk on his face made her believe he was somewhat a mischievous guy.

Looking down at the information that followed his name, she realized he was the same age as she was. He was also Wanda's last living relative as they had lost their parents at the tender age of ten. Esther heart clenched as she thought about how Pietro's death had affected Wanda.

"Don't you worry..." Esther whispered as she gazed at Pietro's photo again, "I'll bring your sister's solace back. All you have to do is wake up."

 **To Be Continued…**


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing aside from the unknown characters.

* * *

I want to thank _Silver_ , _ForeverMe_ , _Alazensupernuke_ , _mun3litKnight_ and _mellimon_ for all of your support. Also, let me inform you all that English is my **second** language. I am sorry for not telling you sooner.

* * *

 **Chapter III**

He had superhuman speed, extreme force generation and superhuman reflexes. However, it was his improved thermal homeostasis and increased metabolism that caught her attention. With the former, Pietro Maximoff could resist the side effects of moving at superhuman speed such as friction, reduced oxygen and kinetic impact. His hyper-accelerated metabolic rate enhanced his physicality as well as his ability to make him less able to be stunned by attacks or injuries. There was even a medical report stating he had been shot in the arm, but still acted as if he was not injured.

Putting the report aside, Esther stared at the man lying on the bed.

His powers were on his side, but as Doctor Cho had said before his high-risk behavior and his age were against him. However, the more she read about his abilities the more she grew worried about how his body would react. Physical paralysis was on top of the list she had been creating as well as chronic pain. Esther may have never met Pietro Maximoff before, but she could already tell he would rather die than to live unable to run.

He did seem the kind of man who could not stay still.

Taking a deep breath, Esther continued taking notes as she studied the machines around the bed. On that moment, she was all by herself. Everyone else seemed to be far too busy taking care of other projects. Esther actually preferred it that way; although she was not exactly a loner, she did enjoy doing things alone. That way she could go at her own space, analyze things more efficiently, and take her own notes. She had inclusively placed a small note pad on her coat's pocket in order to add all new information she found. That way she would be able to reorganize her research once she got back to the New Avengers Facility.

Pressing her first report against her chest, Esther stopped her tracks by the feet of the bed. Looking ahead, she studied Pietro's face, and bit her lower lip. Doctor Cho had told her that he had been in that same position for two months now, and had yet to react to any stimulus. Still, Esther could already see hope in spite of her fears; he had survived the attack, he was breathing pretty much on his own. There was expectation and optimism where there should be nothing.

Putting her report aside, Esther walked to Pietro's right side. Her hands went to the bandages around his arm, and she slowly started to remove them. Gently, she took the bandage off, and observed his arm; his skin was pale, and her eyes scanned every inch of it before settling on the scars where the bullets had hit him.

It surprised her to see that they were fully healed.

Running the tip of her fingers through the scars, Esther immediately went to Pietro's other side, and took the bandage off. Once again, she ran her fingers through the scars she found before biting her lower lip. Without even thinking twice, she made her way towards the small closest located next to the door, and took a scissor from inside. Then, she returned to Pietro's side, and cut the bandages around his torso. Scars were scattered, but fully healed. Once again, Esther caressed each one of them before gazing at Pietro's face.

"This is why you can't give up." Esther whispered as she raised her hands. Carefully, she removed the oxygen mask from his face, and watched him breathe on his own. A faint smile graced her features at that, "There are people waiting for you. I have the feeling you wouldn't want to miss scaring them with your unexpected revival."

Tenderly, Esther covered his torso with the sheet, leaving his arms uncovered. Then, she returned to her report, and wrote down all information regarding his scars. She really should have not been surprised by his fast healing given his rapid cell regeneration ability.

Esther heard the door open as she finished writing down her last sentence, and turned around. Doctor Helen Cho stepped inside, her eyes going from Pietro to Esther. She was also carrying a few files in her arms, and her attentive eyes seemed to absorb her surroundings.

"What do you think of our patient?" Helen asked as she stopped beside Esther, who put her report down. "I've noticed you decided to examine his bullet wounds, and take his oxygen mask off."

"It is amazing how they healed so quickly." Esther told her, a note of astonishment in her voice. "I can only wonder how fast they would regenerate if he was at his full capability. I've checked each one of them, and it's truly incredibly. As for the oxygen mask... I thought I could risk it, and... Well, it's just wonderful to see him breathe on his own."

"That is one of the reasons why I decided I could not give up on him." Helen confessed, her eyes falling upon Pietro's figure. "His body may have shut down, but I am positive he will make a quick recover. He just needs someone to believe in him."

"I think it would be impossible not to have faith in him given everything we can see." Esther said as she also looked down at Pietro. "His recovery... I will do my best to make sure he'll be okay. I will do my best to make sure he returns to the ones he loves."

"That is one of the reasons why I chose you," Helen told her, eyes turning to the younger doctor, who returned the gaze with a confused mask on her face, "I had access to your methodic studies and reports. I also know you were the best student of your class at S.H.I.E.L.D's Academy of Science and Technology, just like your cousin. Your sharp and bright mind, focused on analysis, will undoubtedly allow you to research and develop many breakthroughs while helping Quicksilver. Also, you have been charged with evaluating and treating Quicksilver because of your extensive knowledge of human physiology, anatomy and DNA."

"Well, Pietro isn't exactly human..."

"Yet here you are." Helen stated when Esther trailed off, and a small smile graced her features at the look Esther sent her way. "You did not refuse this challenge. Instead, here you are, trying to evaluate and interpret the best way to assist your patient."

"I certainly don't want you to regret your choice." Esther told her, her cheeks growing warm as she thought about what she was going to say next. "I've always been a great fan of you and Doctor Banner. When I was told Director Fury wanted to talk to me... Well, I really had no idea of what was going on. Even now I have to pinch myself once in a while just to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"I can assure you this is not a dream." Helen told her, "Also, I will be here with you, to assist you on anything you might need."

"I think it's more like the other way around." Esther said, and Helen shook her head before making her way towards Pietro's side. Her eyes settled on his bare arms for a moment, scanning his scars from afar before she focused her attention on Esther again.

"Quicksilver is your patient, Doctor Lewis, and I know he is in good hands." Helen repeated, "You are his doctor. Never forget that."

"I won't." Esther reassured her immediately, and Helen smiled.

On the meantime, Wanda was training hand-to-hand combat moves with Natasha. So far, she had managed not to touch the Black Widow as the older woman evaded all of her attacks. She was unable to use her powers because the objective of that particular training was to help her gain more confidence in her body strength. It was not entirely easy; her power had almost lashed out at Natasha twice. In truth, Wanda could feel her power getting out of control as her lack of sleep finally started taking its toll on her.

"Stop thinking!" Natasha nearly yelled as she tried going for Wanda's throat, causing the younger woman to leap backwards. Without blinking, Natasha stepped on Wanda's foot and simultaneously used a palm strike to the outside part of Wanda's knee. A small cry escaped Wanda's lips as she found herself crashing onto the floor, pain erupting from her right knee.

"Do you want me to kill you?" Natasha roared as she stared down at Wanda, a hard expression on her face. "If you don't pay attention, then I'll personally make sure you never set a foot on this Facility ever again! This is not for children!"

"Hey! What's going on?" Steve asked as he appeared from behind Wanda along with Sam. James and Vision were on the other side of the training room, but both stopped their sparring to gaze at the commotion. Raising a hand, Steve helped Wanda to stand up, ignoring her protests.

"Nothing, I wasn't paying attention..." Wanda managed to say, her accent growing heavier as annoyance consumed her. "Natasha was just making sure I stopped daydreaming."

Steve looked from her to Natasha, who crossed her arms against her chest. Taking a deep breath in, he clenched his jaw, and everyone knew what he was going to say next.

"Let's go outside." Natasha did not even say anything as she turned to her side, and made her way towards the doors. Steve took the opportunity to look at the rest of the team, "You all better continue training. Sam, you're with Wanda now. I'll be back as soon as I can."

With that said, Steve turned around, and went after Natasha, who was already walking through the open doors. Once he reached her side, the doors closing behind him, the duo stopped walking and faced one another. Natasha's annoyance was obvious in the way she kept biting her lower lip while Steve crossed his arms against his chest.

"Spare me the lecture." Natasha told him before Steve could say anything, "I was doing my job."

"I'm not saying you weren't doing your job, Natasha." Steve told her, still with the same military posture. "I actually wanted to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine."

"What I meant..." Steve paused at Natasha's quick reply, "How are you?"

There was a pause. Natasha's eyes met Steve's. Agitation met impassivity. Natasha eventually looked away, tapping her foot on the floor for a moment. Then, she released a long breath.

"She's not focused." she finally said, as if she had not heard Steve's question. "Her power is getting out of control, and she's not even... You know what can happen if she loses control. I am trying to help her exteriorize her anger and her pain, but she's not collaborating."

"Are you trying to exteriorize your pain too?" Steve asked without even blinking, and Natasha tilted her head to the side.

"Don't make this about me."

"No, I'm making this about the two of you." Steve corrected her, without missing a beat. "Both of you are dealing with loss. It may be two different types of loss, but you still have to deal with it. Unfortunately, it hasn't been easy, but you cannot use training as an excuse to explode."

"I didn't explode."

"Threatening to kick her out of the team was enough of an explosion to me." Steve stated, and Natasha rolled her eyes. "Listen, I just want to make sure you're alright. I know you can take care of yourself, but we were selected to watch over them. We need to be on our best shape if we're going to do that."

"I told you I didn't need a lecture."

"I'm not giving you one." Steve responded just as quickly, and Natasha raised an eyebrow. "I am making you think about what's been going on. There's a difference. I just want to make sure neither your feelings nor Wanda's get in the way of our training."

"I'm not a child. I know how to behave." Natasha scolded him, and Steve tilted his head to the side. Then, he dropped his arms, and shifted closer to the Black Widow. Natasha let him press his hands on her shoulders, in a somewhat comforting manner.

"I know you do. I'm not saying otherwise." he said, his voice calm and controlled, "I just want to make sure everything's okay."

"I won't kill her, if that's what you're wondering." Natasha told him, the corner of her lip curling upwards into a knowing smirk. Her arms were once again folded against her chest, and she did not even blink when Steve smiled at her statement, "But you're right; that wasn't very professional."

"Next time, just talk to me." Steve told her, but Natasha simply gazed at him in the eye.

"Did I miss something?" a new voice spoke all of a sudden, and both Steve and Natasha looked to their side. Standing on the other side of the corridor was non-other than Clint Barton, a smirk on his face. "What's going on?"

"We were just talking." Steve told him, and Clint's attentive eyes went from him to Natasha, who simply looked back at him. "What are you doing here, anyway? It's not Friday yet."

"I know, but I was a little worried so I decided to stop by." Clint told him before shrugging lightly, "That and Laura also wanted me to come check on Wanda, so here I am."

"Where's the kid?" Natasha asked with a smirk, and Clint smiled widely at the question.

"Nathaniel's great. One of these days you'll have to go have dinner with us." he said, "Callum and Nicole are always asking about you. Nikki never stops talking about Thor, actually. I better be careful about that or she'll become his fan in no time."

"Yeah, and poor Hawkeye cannot bear to lose one of his most important fans, eh?" Natasha teased, and Clint chuckled.

"Not if I can help it," he stated. "Anyway, I guess you guys are in the middle of training. Mind if I join you?"

"You up to it, old man?" Steve asked as he smirked, and Clint smiled widely.

"I wonder in what category that puts you on." he observed, and Natasha gazed sideways at Steve, and he returned the look. Smiling, she turned to her closest friend, and tilted her head to the side.

"Oh, he's a fossil."

"Very funny."

Clint chuckled at the friendly teasing, and wrapped an arm around Natasha's shoulders. Looking at Steve, he smiled widely at the Captain.

"Alright children, let's go blow off some steam, ok? I think we all need it...desperately." he joked, and Natasha crossed her arms against her chest. "Afterwards, we can order some take-out. What do you say?"

"We're supposed to be in a concealed area, remember?" Natasha asked as she raised an eyebrow, and Clint chuckled.

"That's where the Falcon and War Machine come in."

"Don't let them hear you." Steve said before turning around, and make his way towards the training room again. "C'mon, like Natasha once said; let's beat them into shape."

"Can't wait," Clint told him as the doors opened, and he walked inside along with the two other Avengers.

* * *

"So, how are you?"

Wanda did not even blink at the unexpected voice. Turning her head to the left, she watched as Clint approached her while holding a beer. The wind blew as he sat down on the grass next to her, and gazed at the twinkling sky. The sun had settled a while ago, and the sky was growing darker by the minute. Still, the night was warm, and the breeze was pleasant.

"I'm okay." Wanda responded with a small nod, her eyes resting on the trees in front of them. Her arms were wrapped around her raised knees, her hair blowing at the wind, "How are your children?"

"They're good. Nathaniel is getting bigger by the minute." Clint said, a proud smile on his face, and Wanda returned the smile with ease, "Nicole's loving having a little brother to take care of, and Callum has really embraced his position as the oldest of the three."

"Will you bring them here eventually?" Wanda inquired, and Clint shook his head.

"Nah, I'd rather invite you all to come over for a big dinner." he said, "We have so much space, and I know the kids like to be there. Besides, I'm sure you're all looking forward for a break, so why not throw in a barbecue and a nice get-together?"

"That sounds nice." Wanda said, still with a smile on her face, and Clint took a sip of his beer. For a moment, he just observed the stars before he focused his attention on the young woman next to him again.

"So, how are you doing?"

"I'm alright," Wanda responded as she met his gaze, and Clint raised an eyebrow at that. When he did not say anything, Wanda looked down. "I'm not great, and it hasn't been that easy, but I'm doing alright. The team is...they are helping me a lot."

"I've heard you've been having nightmares lately." Clint observed, and Wanda gazed at him for a moment before shaking her head.

"Vision talked to you."

"Don't be angry at him. He really just wants to help you." Clint told her as he shook his head, "And I really don't have to be a genius to see the signs; you look exhausted, and it can't be just because of the training."

"Actually, training helps me forget."

"No, training occupies your mind for half of the day." Clint corrected as he raised his beer to his lips, "Have you thought about talking to someone about this?"

"I talk... Sometimes..." Wanda trailed off as she broke the gaze. Unconsciously, she pressed a hand against her chest, feeling her heart beat gently against her rib cage. "It's just that... My nightmares are usually about me seeing Pietro..." Wanda closed her eyes, and took a deep breath, "And not being able to help him. When I think I could have let him stay with me..."

"Wanda..." Clint said in a soft voice, and the girl opened her eyes to look at him, "I know. Trust me, I know what you're going through right now, and that's why I'm telling you; you should talk to someone about this. You don't have to bear this pain alone."

"It's just that..." Wanda licked her lips, her accent getting heavier with each word, "Whenever I think about him, I feel something right here." Wanda closed the hand she was pressing against her chest into a fist. "I can't explain it, but it's like Pietro is still here, with me. It's like... Even though he's gone, he never really left."

"The ones we love are never truly gone," Clint told her with a small smile before pointing a finger in direction of her chest, "Also, whenever you feel like you're losing control or just about to go into despair, why don't you hold onto that feeling you've just described? Your brother will always be with you as long as you think of him."

"I am always thinking about him..." Wanda confessed as she dropped her eyes, feeling her heart still beating steadily, filling her body with warmth, "I will never forget him."

"Hold onto that. Hold onto the love you feel for your brother, to the love you know he felt for you," Clint advised her, "I am certain that will be the key for you to stay in control. And whenever you wake up, in the middle of the night, thinking that perhaps you should've done things different, remember; Pietro wouldn't have wanted for you to live in the past. He would most definitely want you to face everything you didn't see coming with your head held high just like he always did."

There was a pause, and Wanda slowly raised her head. A small smile was gracing her pale features, but her eyes were sparkling when moments ago they had been blank and lost. Clint inwardly smiled at the subtle change, silently thanking heavens for her understanding his words.

"You shouldn't blame yourself either," she spoke all of a sudden, surprising him, "He did what he believed to be right. He... When we lost our parents, he vowed he'd take care of me. We were family. He would never let your children go through the same pain we did. Not when he could do something about it."

Clint had no words for that. It was true; he would forever carry a weight on his heart, knowing that Pietro was no longer with them because he had decided to save him and the boy. However, Wanda's words also reached his core, bringing comfort to his soul.

As he put the beer bottle on the grass, next to his leg, Clint rested a hand on Wanda's shoulder. He returned the smile, both of them understanding that even though there was still a long path ahead to tread, they would be alright. It would take awhile, but they would do it for Pietro Maximoff.

"By the way, I have a question for you." Clint said after a moment in silence, and Wanda blinked at his voice, "What would your brother say if he saw you and Vision, eh?"

Wanda let out a small laugh.

"There's nothing going on between Vision and me," she told him, ignoring Clint's raised eyebrow, "But if there was, I like to think he'd be happy for us."

"Yeah, kid, I'm sure he would be," Clint agreed, squeezing her shoulder gently in reassurance, "I'm sure he would be."

Wanda smiled at that before gazing at the stars. Yes, she was positive that whenever he was, Pietro was looking out for her, smiling at her decisions, rooting for her to never give up.

 **To Be Continued…**


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing aside from the unknown characters.

* * *

I want to thank _MissSweetApple28_ , _NicoleR85_ , _Alazensupernuke_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _mun3litKnight_ , _Silver_ and _perilxxx_ for all of your support!

* * *

 **Chapter IV**

"So, do I even want to know what you're doing in another limited access area?" a voice asked, and Esther raised her eyes from her note pad to look over her shoulder. Sam was leaning against the wall, arms and legs crossed, as he observed her with a smile on his face.

"I thought the canteen was opened for everyone." she observed, and Sam chuckled at her comment.

"I think that sitting down is one of the requirements for you to use this place correctly. You're pretty much standing in the middle of the room."

Esther looked around at his statement. A blush covered her cheeks as soon as she realized that she was indeed standing in the middle of the canteen. Looking down, she quickly closed her note pad, and put it away. She had been so focused on examining her latest notes concerning Pietro that she had not noticed what she had been doing.

"I hadn't noticed..." she mumbled, and Sam chuckled at that as he straightened up.

"I always thought you scientists were quite peculiar." he commented, and Esther made a face.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked, and Sam smirked.

"I was hoping you would tell me since you were the one standing in the middle of the canteen." he answered back. "You scientists are all so focused on your experiments and reports and technological breakthroughs that you just seem to have a world of your own."

"At least this time I didn't break any laws."

"Let's hope you never do." Sam laughed, and Esther found herself laughing with him. "I take it you were thinking about eating something when you first came here?"

At his words, Esther felt her stomach twist in hunger. Thankfully, the noise was not loud enough for anyone except for Sam to hear it. Colour returned to her cheeks at Sam's amused expression, and she quickly cleared her throat.

"Err... Yes, I was actually thinking about that." Esther confessed with a small nod, and once again Sam chuckled at her behaviour, "Would you like to join me?"

"Sure, why not?" Sam asked as he waved a hand in direction of a vacant table, and both sat down, "So, how's your project going?"

"My project?" Esther repeated, her mind immediately going back to the sleeping man back at The Avengers Hospital. Her insides twisted at the question, and she had to hold herself from shifting in her seat in discomfort. "It's going fine. I've only just began, but the improvements are there, and it's been an honour to work with Doctor Cho. I've always been a big fan of her work and Doctor Banner's too."

"Figured you'd like the two of them," Sam chuckled at Esther's face, "So, I guess that means you're finally getting used to being here. It's been what? A week?"

"Yes, and it has been amazing." Esther said, a happy smile gracing her features, "I still cannot believe I'm here. You have no idea how many of my classmates would just die to be here. I would even go as far as to say preposterous! It's such a privilege!"

"Yeah, I can see you're excited," Sam smiled widely at her, and Esther could not help but return the smile, "Anyway, I don't know about you, but I'm starving. What do you want to eat?"

"I'd like some tea, please." Esther requested as Sam stood up, only to raise an eyebrow at her words, "What?"

"I thought you were going to ask for the biggest, largest coffee they have around here." he commented before shrugging at Esther's face, "I take it that's one of things only you British people understand, eh? I guess I'll bring some milk too, then."

Esther had no time to find an answer that observation as Sam turned around to make his way towards the counter. So far no one had commented about her ancestry, and his comment did catch her a little off guard. With a small shrug, Esther reached out for her note pad again. Grabbing her pen, she searched for the last bit of information she had written down.

Hastily, she wrote down the importance of starting to use massages and eventually include exercises in water after Pietro woke up. Esther knew that if they did not start working the muscles even with Pietro still not responding to any stimulus, things would be even harder once he was awake. Also, since Pietro had not changed his position in two months, Esther was beginning to worry about disuse muscle atrophy.

"Here we go!" Sam exclaimed as he suddenly appeared beside Esther, who leaped in her seat in surprise. Quickly, she rested a hand on top of her note pad as Sam put a metallic teapot and the creamer for the milk in front of her before reaching out for the cup. "I wasn't really sure of what flavor you wanted, so I went for mint."

"It's fine. Thank you." Esther thanked him as she closed the note pad, and slowly put it inside her coat's pocket along with the pen. Smiling, she picked up the teapot and filled her cup. Sam silently watched her as she poured some milk as well, making a face when she blew in direction of the warm liquid. When their eyes met, Sam chuckled before smiling at his huge sandwich and cup of coffee.

"So, I take it you're enjoying this new experience, eh?" Sam asked as he grabbed his sandwich, and Esther nodded. Putting the cup down, she crossed her arms on top of the table.

"It's been wonderful." she repeated, the smile never leaving her face, "I'm a little nervous, though. I've never been out in the field before. I've always loved being in my laboratory, doing research, but when I was invited to come here... Well, I must admit I tried to decline at first, but now I'm quite glad they rejected my refusal."

"You refused?" Sam repeated, both eyebrows rising as he stared at her, "I thought you said you're a big fan of Doctor Cho and Doctor Banner?"

"I am, but this was one of my dreams." Esther tried to explain, "One thing is to dream about this, another completely different thing is to live it. Also, the project they invited me to participate in... Whenever I think about the privilege that it is to be able to be here, and work side by side with someone as brilliant as Doctor Helen Cho, I mean... Wow."

"Yeah, probably the same feeling I got when I first started working with the Cap." Sam commented as he took a sip of his coffee, "Though in my case, I kind of forced them to accept me. Captain was even under the impression I was a pilot."

"Was that how you met him?" Esther asked, hands going for her cup of tea, and Sam chuckled at her question.

"No, we actually met when he was jogging and I was looking for a new set of lungs," he responded, and Esther blinked at that. She parted her lips to speak when a figure emerged from behind Sam, causing her to close her mouth. On television he looked cool, but up close he was quite impressive.

Esther mentally scolded herself for staring.

"I was under the impression you were trying to win our race." Steve observed as he walked past Sam, a smirk on his face. A small laugh escaped Sam's lips as he looked up at Captain America, who simply focused his attention on Esther, "Steve Rogers, ma'am."

"Esther Lewis," the scientist introduced herself with a nod, which Steve returned. Then, as he crossed his arms against his chest, the Captain turned to his teammate and friend once more.

"I need to talk to you about our missing case." he said, and Sam looked down at his half-eaten sandwich before letting out a sigh. Esther got the impression that was something that happened often. Putting his food down, Sam smiled apologetically in Esther's direction.

"Sorry, got to go." he apologized, and Esther smiled back at him.

"That's alright," she said before gazing at Steve, "It was nice to meet you."

"Likewise, and sorry for cutting your lunch short," Steve apologized as he dropped his arms to his sides. With a snort, Sam stood up from his seat, and looked at the Captain.

"You have something against sandwiches, that's all I know." he stated before waving a hand in the air, "See you later, Doctor Lewis."

"Thank you for the tea!" Esther thanked him with a smile, and Sam simply shrugged at that before twirling around, and followed Steve out of the canteen. Taking another sip from her tea, Esther decided to grab her note pad, and study her latest notes. Recalling her patient, Esther finished her drink, and stood up from the chair.

She needed to get to the hospital as quickly as possible. She needed to return to Pietro's side, and make sure not only that he would wake up, but that he would be ready to run as he most definitely would want to. Biting her lower lip, Esther put her note pad away, and left the canteen. She barely paid any attention to her surroundings as she made her way towards the main entrance of the Facility.

With her mind focused solemnly on her patient, Esther made her way towards the hospital. She needed to create a plan to help him with his possible disuse muscle atrophy. She needed to make sure she would be able to help him if the worst came to be.

Pressing a hand against the pocket where her note pad was, Esther barely paid attention as the car stopped, and she left the vehicle. Greeting a few nurses as she walked inside the hospital, Esther quickly made her way towards Pietro's room.

Tilting her head to the side, Esther waited for a split of a second before walking inside. Pietro was still resting on the bed, looking exactly the same as the last time, but his left arm was not in the same position. His arm was draped over his torso, almost as if he had tried to reach out for the door.

Esther sprung into action in a blink of an eye. Rushing to his side, Esther checked his eyes before focusing her attention on his arm. She was unconsciously holding her breath in her throat as she waited for something, anything, to happen as she checked Pietro's vital signs. His pulse was next, and using the first and second fingertips, she pressed firmly but gently on the arteries until she felt a pulse.

Esther turned to the machine next to her when she realized his pulse had sped up.

Releasing his wrist, Esther studied the machines around the bed. After a few moments, taking notes and analyzing everything related to Pietro's vital signs, Esther finally released the breath she had been holding. Turning around, she put her report aside, and took Pietro's left hand in hers.

"Pietro?" she called out, her voice coming out softly, thoughts running through her mind at full speed. She really had no idea if talking to him was a good plan; she was supposed to be his physician, and nothing else. Still, the fact he had moved, the fact he had reacted to something when no one was watching, caused her to believe that they were indeed getting closer to his recovery.

He just needed one last push.

"I know this might sound weird, considering," Esther proceeded, both her hands cupping his warm one, "In fact, I've just realised I've never introduced myself to you. My name is Esther Lewis; I'm a scientist, and your physician. I am here to make sure you get better."

Pausing, Esther looked behind her. The chair they had left there was too far from the bed, and she did not want to lose the already delicate possibility of reaching out for Pietro. Instead, she unconsciously increased her grip on his hand, and moved her head closer to his ear.

"I need you to wake up," she whispered, observing his face, waiting for a change no matter how subtle, "I haven't gotten the opportunity to meet your sister, but I am certain she will be beyond happy to see you're alive. That is why you need to wake up..."

Esther studied his face. He did not move or make any sort of sound. Esther looked down at his hand, locked in hers, and took in a deep breath. Slowly, she raised one hand, and touched his forehead, fingers caressing his hair.

"I'm going to watch over you." she heard herself promise before straightening up. Then, she gazed behind her, at the furthest wall, and noticed the small video camera located in the corner, "But first let me find out what you did while no one was here."

* * *

"Yes, I know I gave you 200 dollars a while ago, but each time your token lands on or passes over _Go_ , the Banker pays you – and everyone who does the same – a 200 dollars salary." Sam explained as he handed Vision two notes. The clear confused look on Vision's face was priceless, and soon James Rhodes was laughing out loud.

"I'd give up if I were you; there's no way he's going to understand this game." James laughed as Vision accepted the 200 dollars, a frown on his face. "Either that or just give him the rules. He'll probably understand that much easier."

"Are you telling me I'm not a good teacher?" Sam asked as he turned to the man sitting opposite to him on the table. "I refuse to let him read the rules when I explain just fine. We just need patience, lots of it, but he will play."

"I think you're taking this a little too seriously." Wanda commented as she reached out for the dices, and a small smile appeared on her face when Sam turned to her. "I'm still trying to understand how this goes, so what if we take this slow?"

"I think you all should play another board game." Steve commented as he approached the table, Natasha standing next to him with her arms crossed against her chest. Both of them were failing miserably in concealing their amused smiles.

"You're saying that because you just suck at _Monopoly_." Sam stated, and Steve raised an eyebrow at that, "And if you want to prove me wrong, then you better pull up a chair, and sit down. We can do it all over again too."

"Oh, hell no! Not when I'm winning!" James protested as shook his head vehemently, and Sam rolled his eyes.

"I'm letting you win because I'm far too busy making sure our fourth player knows what he's doing." he responded while waving a hand in Vision's direction. The android looked back at him.

"Then perhaps I should read the rules. I'd rather not be blamed for you loss in the game." Vision commented, and Sam stared at him in silence. Once again, James laughed and Wanda took the opportunity to look at the two members standing next to her.

"Why don't you join us?"

"Yeah, Steve, why don't you?" Natasha asked as she gazed at Captain America, a smirk on her face. "I'd do it, but I have some business to take care of."

"You're just afraid I'll beat you just like I did when we played _Battleship_." Steve pointed out, and Natasha smirked at that.

"How can you be so sure I didn't just let you win?" she asked, but before Steve could reply, she turned to the rest of the team. "I'll see you guys later."

Everyone said goodbye, except for Sam, who simply waved a hand in goodbye. Releasing a sigh, Steve looked down at Wanda, and smiled at her before pulling the chair next to her. Sitting down, he looked at Sam.

"So, are you ready to lose?" he asked, one eyebrow raised, and Sam smirked at the obvious challenge.

"You might beat me in jogging, but let's see who's the best playing _Monopoly_." he declared, and it was then that he saw someone walk past the door that led to the lounge. Immediately, he raised a hand in the air, "Oi! Doctor Lewis!"

Everyone stared weirdly at him before gazing at the door. There, caught like a deer in the lights, was a young woman. In her hands was a note pad, and her widened eyes were turned to the lounge. It was almost as if she had not been expecting to hear someone call out for her.

"Want to play some _Monopoly_ with us?" Sam asked as he waved a hand in the air, motioning for the woman to walk inside. For a moment, the said doctor seemed to ponder about the invitation before looking down at what she was holding. Slowly, she placed the note pad inside her coat's pocket before walking inside.

"Hum... Hello..." Esther greeted slowly as she approached the table, looking slightly uncomfortable. Smiling, Sam stood up from his seat, and made his way towards her side.

"Everyone, this is Doctor Esther Lewis." he introduced her to his friends, a wide smile on his face. "Doc, I'd like you to meet James Rhodes, Vision and Wanda Maximoff. You've already met the Cap."

"It's nice to meet you all." Esther greeted them with a nervous wave, a small smile on her face. Her eyes had followed Sam's hand as he introduced each one of his team mates before settling on Wanda. The other girl looked back at her, and offered a kind smile.

Inwardly, Esther wondered if Pietro's smile was as sweet as Wanda's.

"Would you like to join us?" Wanda asked, in her thick accent. Pietro undoubtedly had the same accent, and deep down Esther could not help but wish he would wake up so that she could hear his voice.

"Well, I..." Esther looked at the people before her. It was unimaginable, really; there she was, a simple scientist, surrounded by the Avengers themselves. She truly wondered how her cousin would react if she told her about it.

Noticing her hesitation, Sam rested a hand on her shoulder.

"It's just _Monopoly_ , Doctor Lewis, I'm sure you can handle it," he stated, and Steve took the cue to stand up from his chair. Pushing it backwards, he motioned for Esther to sit down.

"Oh, alright, I guess I could..." Esther trailed off as she sat down, and Steve gently rearranged her chair. Looking to her side, Esther noticed Wanda was still looking at her. Her insides shook; Esther was aware of Wanda's telepathy, and she could only hope Wanda would not try to read her mind.

"Sam was actually trying to teach us the rules," Wanda spoke all of a sudden, her eyes big and light, "Do you know how to play?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm more of an _Operation_ fan..." Esther trailed off when Sam snickered at her comment. Looking at him, she raised an eyebrow, "Was it something I said?"

"Sorry, I just couldn't help it." Sam apologized, a knowing smirk on his face, "Of course you'd be an _Operation_ kind of player. You're a scientist!"

"So, where in England are you from?" James stepped in before Esther could think of something to say. Turning to War Machine, Esther could not help but smile at the kind expression on his face.

"I'm from Sheffield," she responded with a short nod.

"And what is a girl from Sheffield doing in this Facility?" James inquired, and Esther swallowed hard. Taking a deep breath, she tried to control her heartbeat as she clasped her hands on top of the table.

"I was invited to participate in one of Doctor Cho's projects." she explained, doing her best not to break eye-contact with James while Steve took a chair next to Vision, "It's actually an honour to be here, working with her. And meeting you all is just...it's almost like a dream."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Doctor Lewis." Vision spoke all of sudden, and Esther turned to him. So, he was the android she had heard so much about. His humanoid appearance was stunning, a perfect splice between organism and machine.

"So, about _Monopoly_..." Sam began, and Steve smirked at his friend's enthusiasm.

"You're dying to lose, aren't you?" he asked, and Sam raised an eyebrow at that.

"And who do you think is going to beat me?" he asked, and Steve smirk grew wider. Slowly, he rested his hands on the table, and motioned for Wanda to hand him the dices.

"Let's find out." he commented, and while James and Wanda laughed lightly at their bickering, Vision looked amused. Sam scoffed at Steve's confidence while Esther tried not to chuckle at what was happening in front of her. She had never thought the Avengers would be such a breezy and spontaneous group.

"Good luck." Wanda spoke all of a sudden, and Esther turned her head to gaze at the Scarlet Witch. When she realized Wanda had spoken to her, Esther forced the corner of her lips to curl upwards.

"You too..." she managed to say, and Wanda nodded before focusing her attention on the game. As Sam proceeded explaining how they should play the game, Esther continued observing Wanda. There was a speck of loneliness in her posture. A particle of desolation that Esther was going to do her best to remove as soon as Pietro woke up, and her help him become who he had once been.

 **To Be Continued…**


	5. Chapter V

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing.

* * *

I want to thank _NicoleR85_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _MissSweetApple28_ and _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ for all of your support. I hope you all continue to enjoy this ride.

* * *

 **Chapter V**

"Has he moved since then?" Helen asked as she looked up from her laptop's screen, and Esther shook her head when their eyes met. At the silent response, Helen gazed at the footage of Pietro's room, and watched as his eyes snapped open, and he moved his hand to the side before falling into a deep sleep again. "You are considering this a nightmare?"

"If you take what happened to him in consideration..."

"You think he remembered the moment he got shot." Helen elaborated when Esther trailed off, and the younger doctor nodded in agreement. Helen raised her eyes once more, "It is possible that he's progressively gaining consciousness. If such happens, the first event he will recall is the moment when he saved both Agent Barton and the boy."

"Yes, that is my belief as well." Esther agreed, her right hand clasping her left wrist, "I do believe sooner or later Pietro will wake up. Fortunately, the fact he managed to move his arm after two months incapacitated reveals his condition is probably not as deteriorated as I first thought."

"What are you going to do next?"

"I've actually began talking to him. I am trying to draw reflex reactions from him." Esther explained, and for a moment Helen simply looked at her. Feeling as if she had done something wrong, Esther released her wrist, and shifted closer to the desk, "I know this may not sound professional, but I do believe he will eventually react to my voice. I am also planning on playing some music while I'm there."

"I've read your latest reports, and I must say I am happy with the improvements." Helen told her as she closed the laptop, without ever breaking the eye-contact. "I find your decisions quite remarkable, and I am glad you're not always waiting for my approval before you act. However, do you think it's wise to use this approach?"

Esther blinked, her breath caught in her throat.

"I understand your decision, and I comprehend what you are trying to do," Helen proceeded as she stood up from her chair. "You are trying to make him react to your voice. However, what can you talk about when you know so little about him? Talking about yourself...do you think that's a realistic idea?"

"It may not be the most professional one, but I do not mind." Esther told her, releasing the breath as she spoke. "As long as it helps him, I do not mind speaking about myself. I actually talk mostly about my projects. He probably would not understand half of what I'm saying if he was awake."

"I know you've met his sister."

Esther felt her heart skip a beat at that, but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes, I have. She's a very sweet girl." she commented, but Helen's look did not waver, "I will not tell her anything, I promise. I've been with the team, and no one asked me about what I'm doing here. Telling them I was working with you seemed sufficient."

"You know her powers." Helen informed her, "And you'll eventually notice she doesn't control them all that well. If something happens, if by any chance she manages to read your mind, what will you do?"

"Well, for once, I'm an awful liar. I can't lie to save my own life." Esther told her, sincerely, "However, when you asked me to come here, you wanted me to take care of Pietro. I cannot worry about Wanda too. If something eventually happens, I shall deal with it then."

"Yes, and it is my job to help you as well." Helen eventually agreed before nodding, "I am going to send your latest reports to the Director. You may proceed with your plan. However, I'd start using a tablet instead of a note pad if I were you."

Esther's hand shifted to the pocket of her coat at that comment. She knew Helen was right; carrying a note pad around was not the safest idea. Biting her lower lip for a moment, Esther pondered about what to say before nodding.

"I know; I believe old habits die hard." she said with a short nod, "Back at the Academy, I always carried a note pad with me. Call me old fashioned, but I just like to scribble my ideas as soon as they come to mind."

"Well, I understand, but it would be better to avoid all possible disasters." Helen told her, and Esther nodded.

"I shall dispose of the note pad as soon as I return to my room." she promised, and Helen returned the nod. "Also, I was thinking about using therapeutic exercises designed to improve mobility and strengthen Pietro's muscles. Even if he does not wake up soon, I was thinking about repeating those exercises quite regularly for a set number of weeks."

"Oh? Are you planning on using manual therapy techniques?" Helen inquired, sounding quite curious about the new plan. Esther waited a few seconds before nodding.

"I've been studying some of those techniques, yes. My main goal right now is to improve blood circulation, help fluid drain more efficiently and improve the movement of his legs and arms." Esther explained, "I want to relieve him of pain as much as possible before he wakes up. I do believe he will want to run wild as soon as he gains consciousness."

"I would not be surprised if he did." Helen agreed, "Very well. However, you could always study the possibility of working with acupuncture and even TENS."

"Thank you. I shall do my research." Esther said before adding, "Also, I am sorry for my poor judgment about the note pad."

"There was no harm done. I am simply advising you." Helen said as she waved a hand in front of her face, and Esther nodded. After a quick goodbye, she turned around, and left the office. Pressing a hand against her chest, Esther tried to control her beating heart before straightening up.

Going for her coat's pocket, she felt her note pad, and mentally scolded herself. She should have known better.

"Doctor Esther?"

The scientist looked to her side in surprise. Her insides flipped when her eyes met Wanda's. Helen's word of advice tickled her ears as she stared at the Maximoff twin, her mind going to Pietro. Esther honestly had no idea how much time rolled by until she finally snapped from her trance.

"Wanda! Hello!" she greeted, trying her best not to wince at her tone of voice. She truly had no theatrical ability. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just on my way for a walk before training." Wanda told her, and Esther nodded. "Would you... Would you like to join me?"

Esther hesitated. It was unconscious really; Helen's words were still echoing in her mind, and Esther could not help but wonder about what would happen if Wanda read her mind. However, before Esther could dwell in her doubts, Wanda shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I know you're busy." she apologized, and Esther blinked at that, "I'll just go..."

"No, wait!" Esther said, a hand in the air as Wanda got ready to walk past her. When their eyes met, Esther felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment, "I'm sorry, I was just lost in thought. I'd love to go for a walk with you. It sounds lovely."

When Wanda smiled at her, Esther wondered once again if Pietro's smile would be as kind as hers.

Without saying anything, Wanda made her way towards the main doors of the Facility, and Esther followed. The military personnel barely glanced their way as they stepped outside, the lukewarm wind welcoming them as it blew towards east.

Motioning for Esther to follow her with a hand, Wanda led the scientist towards a spot where they could see all the trees. The Facility was right behind them, but still far enough for no one to bother them. The silence was most welcomed, and Esther could not help but close her eyes after sitting down on the grass.

"Thank you for inviting me to come here with you," Esther spoke after a long period of silence, and Wanda turned to look at her. "And now that I think about it, I've never really thanked you for inviting me to play _Monopoly_ with you."

"Oh that..." Wanda laughed lightly as she recalled the previous night. It had been quite hilarious with Vision not really understanding the objective of the game of owning as much property as possible and be the richest person. Sam had actually spent most of his time between teaching Vision and trying to beat Steve. James had laughed almost the entire time at the whole situation. Both Wanda and Esther had simply played whenever it was their turn. Still, surprisingly enough, Vision had ended up as the winner, much for Sam and James' frustration and Steve's amusement.

"It was fun." Esther whispered as she gazed up at the clear sky, and Wanda nodded. However, Esther quickly realized how quiet Wanda had grown, and focused her attention on the dark haired girl. Parting her lips, Esther was about to speak when she recalled Sam's advice.

 _If you ever come across Wanda, don't mention Quicksilver unless she does it first, ok? It's been a couple of tough months, and she's still dealing with the loss of her twin._

"Are you alright?" Esther decided to ask, Sam's voice fading away, and Wanda looked away from the trees to gaze at her. Offering her a small smile, Esther put a lock of hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry..."

"No, it's okay." Wanda spoke slowly, her eyes dropping as she took a deep breath, "I was just thinking that Pietro would have loved to play _Monopoly_. When we were little he would come up with the strangest ideas for games, but... They were always fun."

Esther felt her heart skip a beat as Wanda gazed at the trees in front of them. There was a small smile on her face, one that did not reach her eyes. Esther kept silent, and simply listened. She had a feeling that moment right there would not happen again.

"Did you ever have the feeling that even though someone is no longer with you, they are still close to you?" Wanda asked, her eyes finding Esther's once again. The scientist promptly nodded in response, and Wanda's smile widened just a little. "I have that feeling whenever I think of Pietro. It's almost as if he never truly left."

Esther felt her mouth go dry at those words. Half of her wanted to tell Wanda that the feeling she was describing was much more than that, but she also knew she could not do it. Pietro as Wanda remembered was not among them yet and her words would be viewed as a cruel joke.

So, instead of saying what she wanted, Esther bit her lower lip, and stopped herself from touching Wanda.

"I'm sure your brother would be happy to know you didn't give up," she heard herself say, "And I'm certain he would also be happy to see you haven't lost your ability to move forward."

"Agent Barton told me the exact same thing," Wanda said, without ever losing her smile, "And I'm sorry. I don't usually talk about my brother, but after what we did yesterday, with the game, I... I felt like we're a real family, and I just wish...I just wish Pietro was here to see it."

This time, Esther had to bit the interior of her cheek to stop herself from blurting out her secret.

"Wanda," a voice called out, and Esther looked behind her only to blink when she did not see anyone. As a shadow fell on top of her, she looked up, and held back a gasp when she saw Vision hovering just above their heads. "I apologize for intruding, but our training is about to begin."

"Yes, of course." Wanda replied as she stood up before gazing at Esther, "Thank you for the company, and once again I'm sorry."

"Please, don't apologize. I'm really happy we talked; I've never had many friends, so..." Esther trailed off as she got to her feet as well, and Wanda paused at her words.

"Friends?" she repeated, making a face. It was almost as if that was a foreign word to her. Esther was about to speak, when Wanda looked at her, and smiled, "I'd like that."

Esther found herself smiling back at the young woman while doing her best to ignore the way her heart was beating wildly against her chest.

* * *

 _Go._

A roar reverberated from afar. Screams echoed in the darkness.

There was a blinding light, and pain exploded.

 _You didn't...see that...coming?_

There was a heartbeat.

Everything went black.

A gasp echoed through the room, machines screaming as vital signs skyrocketed. Pain burst through every cell, every inch of skin protesting and whining in pain. A pair of widened eyes stared ahead, seeing nothing, paying attention to nothing.

The sound of war was still resonating from everywhere.

"Quicksilver..."

His body roared as he forced his head to turn, his neck following the movement. The face that looked back at him was somewhat blurry, but the voice sounded familiar. He opened his mouth, but no word escaped from his lips. His vocal chords felt heavy, his tongue was like lead.

"It's a relief to see you're finally awake." the woman proceeded as she moved closer to the bed. With graceful movements, she filled a cup with water, and gently pressed it against his lips. Most of the liquid spilled down his chin as his lips seemed to have lost all coordination, but the woman simply settled the cup aside after he was finished.

Reaching over for a napkin, she cleaned his chin and neck before smiling faintly at him. His eyes followed her actions, but the rest of his body just seemed to refuse to work. It was almost as if he could not move at all.

"You are at the Avengers Hospital," the woman informed him as she straightened up, "Do you remember who I am?"

He felt his vision fail for a moment. The woman's face became blurrier, and he tried to clear his mind by shaking his head. At least, he hoped he had shaken his head because all he could feel was pain.

"I'm Doctor Helen Cho," the woman introduced herself, "Do not fight sleep. You went through a traumatic experience, but let me assure you that you're safe here. Your sister is safe too."

He tried to look at her, but her words were beginning to lose sense. The pain was becoming unbearable, and it was getting harder to keep his eyes open. As if sensing his frustration, Helen pressed a hand against his shoulder, but he did not even feel it.

"Just rest, Quicksilver. We'll talk when you wake up."

Closing his eyes, he felt a wave of pain assault his whole body before everything went numb. When he opened his eyes again it was because of the sound of a piano tickling his ears. Once again, moving seemed impossible, but at least he managed to make his eyelids flutter open. For a moment, he just stared at the white ceiling, the notes from the music swirling around him.

A small noise of a drawer being closed caught his attention, breaking his daze. Shifting his head, he succeeded in spotting a person on his side, close to the door. It was a woman, due to her long brown hair, but he managed to notice it was not the same woman he had seen before.

Taking a small breath, he parted his lips to speak. Somehow, his brain managed to process that all that escaped from his throat was a weak and pathetic grunt. Still, the woman seemed to have heard him as she immediately twirled around, her eyes settling on his immobile figure instantaneously.

"... Pietro."

He was not sure, but it seemed as if she had breathed out his name. Her eyes were widened, but before he could try to capture the look on her face, the woman practically flew to his side. His vision was still somewhat blurry, but he managed to notice her hazel eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

Her accent was oddly familiar. He was certain he had never seen her before, but her voice caused a strange tingle in his head. Suddenly, there was a hand against his forehead, cool and refreshing against his burning skin.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." she eventually said, her eyes locked with his. He tried to speak again, his lips feeling dry and his tongue heavy as a rock, but he refused to give up. Taking a deep breath, and ignoring the pain that accompanied it, he struggled to form a word.

"W-Wh-What...?"

"Do you remember what happened?" the woman asked in a tranquil voice, the fingers of her other hand finding his wrist, but she did not break the eye-contact at all. Instead, she took the opportunity to find his pulse while he frowned at her question.

If he remembered what had happened? What did she mean? The last thing he could remember was his sister, the Avengers, Ultron, Sokovia, and...and...

Pain suddenly erupted from his whole body, and he felt his arms and legs react to the sudden kick of agony. He gritted his teeth, and tried to pull away from the pain, but the more he struggled, the worst the pain became.

His eyes widened as an explosion echoed in his ears, and his heartbeat spiked.

"Calm down, it's fine, everything's alright. You're safe," the woman whispered as she released his wrist in order to grasp his hand. "Squeeze my hand as hard as you can. Focus on my voice, and control your breathing. Just relax; I'm here."

Her voice seemed to mingle with the memories that were assaulting his brain. He barely registered his fingers squeezing hers, and despite the pain that was consuming him, he knew he was hurting her. Still, her voice continued coming out smooth and mild, a gentle caress against the horrors he was reliving.

"I know it's hard, but you're safe. I'm going to take care of you."

"W-Wanda..." Pietro managed to gasp, and he felt her squeeze his hand back.

"She's safe. She's with the Avengers." the woman told him, "Pietro, I need you to calm down. I don't want to give you benzodiazepines, so, please, focus on my voice, and breathe."  
 **  
**Gently, she raised his hand, and pressed the palm of his hand against her chest. The heartbeat against his skin was so surprising and so loud that it gradually began to swallow down the nightmare he was living. Closing his eyes, he tried to mimic her breathing, to escape the pain, to get away from all those painful memories.

"That's it," the woman muttered, still pressing his hand against her heart, "Focus on my breathing, and relax your body. I know you're in pain, but I need you to calm down."

Slowly, too slowly in his opinion, he finally managed to control his breathing. His heartbeat calmed down, and the pain subsided. He still felt quakes of agony roll down his body, but he managed to ignore them as he focused his attention on the woman beside him.

He could see her features more clearly now. A ghost of a smile graced her features, but she did not release his hand. The sound of the piano became clearer, and he swallowed dry in an attempt to make the muscles of his mouth work.

"W-Who are...you?" he wheezed, and the woman's smile grew just a little more.

"My name is Esther Lewis, and I'm your physician."

Her name held no special meaning, but her voice still sounded familiar. It was almost as if it was a dream of a dream. He tried to command his mouth to move again, but Esther gently caressed his forehead with her thumb.

"I'm going to take care of you," she continued in the same silky voice, "Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise."

Those words along with the gentle beating of the woman's heart were enough to gently draw Pietro back to a dreamless slumber.

 **To Be Continued…**


	6. Chapter VI

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing aside from the unknown characters.

* * *

I want to thank _Guest_ , _MissSweetApple28_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _mun3litKnight_ , _Guest_ , _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ , _sparklegirl18_ , _Lady-Syndra_ , _SirAvery_ and _Phoenixsbirdsofflame_ for all of your support and help. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter VI**

She was staring at a hologram of the world when he found her. Her arms were crossed against her chest, legs slightly apart. Her posture, rigid and unyielding, screamed control, which was enough to warn everyone that it was not the right time to talk to her.

For a moment, he simply observed her as he leaned against the door. His jaw was clenched tight, his muscles tense as he took in her posture. She did indeed look unbending, but there was solitude in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, he finally announced his presence by clearing his throat rather loudly.

"So, how's your search going?" Steve asked, also crossing his arms against his chest as he walked towards Natasha's side. The red haired woman looked away from the hologram for a moment before dropping her arms to her sides.

"Still waiting for the postcard." she stated, and he detected a hint of melancholy in her voice, "There's no way we can track him, and I really have no idea where he might go. I also don't have the ability to go search every country, and you and I both know how he can be when he doesn't want to be found."

"I'm sure he'll tell us something soon," Steve said, hand on her shoulder, "We just need to give him time. Everything that happened in Sokovia affected all of us, but Dr. Banner was always more thin-skinned than the rest of us."

"I just wish…" Natasha paused, and took a deep breath, "I just wish we could trace that Quinjet. Stark reassured us that he'd give it his all, but I have the feeling he has kidnapped his girlfriend and disappeared somewhere."

"Stark wouldn't do that," Steve began, but when Natasha looked at him, he eventually nodded, "Alright, maybe he would, but he knows how important it is for us to find Dr. Banner. He knows it too; the two of them together was just… Something out of a sci-fi movie."

"Oh, do you know what a sci-fi movie is?" Natasha inquired, a hint of a smirk on her lips, and Steve had to stop himself from shaking his head.

"I've done my homework." he told her, this time drawing a smile out of the Black Widow, "Anyway; I'm here because we need to go over some things concerning the next training. Do you feel up to it or do you want me to come at some other time?"

"I'm not a little girl, Captain. I can deal with anything you throw at me," Natasha warned him, eyes narrowing.

"I'm not saying you are." Steve told her, crossing his arms against his chest, "However, I do worry about you, and I know how much this whole situation must be affecting you. We've established a long time ago there's no need for us to hide anything from one another anymore."

"Then, I'd like to train Wanda more closely," Natasha commented all of a sudden, causing Steve to blink at her request, "Like you said, the two of us have…some things in common. I want to help her lose her fear of going further."

"Yes, I think that's a good idea." Steve agreed, and the expression on Natasha's face nearly caused him to chuckle, "I've told you before; I do believe the two of you have more things in common than you think. I am sure Wanda will be able to accomplish much more if she has you pushing her forward. However, that does not mean you can be mean."

"Me? Mean? Never…" Natasha teased, and Steve smiled faintly at that. It was also then that Sam appeared at the door, hand on the door frame.

"Hey, I was looking all over for you. Do you have a minute?" Sam asked as he stared at Steve, who glanced at Natasha before excusing himself. With his arms now on his sides, Steve approached his friend, who nodded before disappearing through the other side.

"What's wrong?" Steve asked as Sam led him to an empty spot in the hallway.

"I've found a clue about our missing person's case." Sam informed him, and Steve immediately tensed up. "I'd like to request a leave of absence just for a couple of days. I want to make sure this clue is for real."

"Where are you going?" Steve asked, and Sam stared at him in the eye before releasing a long breath.

"I'm going to D.C."

A moment of silence followed Sam's announcement, and Steve closed his hands into fists.

"You think he's there?"

"Everything points to it." Sam told him, and Steve took a deep breath. Relaxing his hands, he returned to his usual military stance, his eyes never leaving Sam's.

"Keep me posted."

"Will do," Sam nodded before walking away. For a moment, Steve just watched him disappear down the hallway before he gazed to his side.

"So, is there trouble in paradise?" Natasha asked as she walked through the door, arms crossed against her chest, and Steve had to stop himself from rolling his eyes, "And before you ask, no, I wasn't eavesdropping."

"Never said you were," Steve retorted with a smirk, which Natasha returned. "So, what do you say about creating a new training schedule? I have the feeling everyone else is going to love it."

"There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving." Natasha told him as she made her way towards the staircase. Steve followed her in silence, and when they reached the bottom, Natasha's eyes fell upon the main entrance of the building on the same moment a familiar face emerged from outside, "Say, how's your search for a date going?"

"Oh no, we're not going to do that again." Steve nearly groaned as he stared down at her, Natasha's eyes meeting his, "How many times have I told you I'm far too busy to look for a date? Why would I want a date now anyway?"

"Well, you better enjoy peace while it lasts." Natasha informed him, "You never know when a bad guy may pop up again. Besides, that new scientist seems like a nice girl."

Steve's eyes shifted towards the main entrance, and he quickly spotted the scientist Natasha was referring to. Talking to Doctor Cho was Esther Lewis, the scientist Sam had introduced him to. Shaking his head, Steve focused his attention on Natasha again.

"You owe to find yourself a life."

"I like to multitask. Besides, you're the one who's too chicken to ask Agent 13 to go out for a date. I'm just going over other possibilities." Natasha declared, and Steve tried to glare at her. However, since she was the Black Widow, Steve knew she would simply ignore the look on his face. "Anyway, let's go over your ideas instead. You seem to love that more than anything in the world."

"You're impossible," Steve muttered, and Natasha chuckled.

"Yeah, but that's why we work so well together." was all she said. As Steve followed her, shaking his head at her words, Esther abandoned the Facility alone. A tablet was in her hands, and she was struggling not to look down on it. She had shut it off for good measure, but her heart was racing, and her hands were growing sweatier as seconds rolled by.

With a small smile, she went towards the closest car, and allowed the driver to take her to the hospital. Soon enough, she was walking inside the hospital, her feet leading her to Pietro's room. She greeted everyone who walked past her. Even though she still did not have friends at the hospital, she was becoming familiar to her co-workers.

As soon as the eye scan occurred, and the door of Pietro's room opened up, the sound of a piano filled Esther's ears. Even though her patient had woken up on the previous day, Esther had decided to follow her plan. The melodies were smooth and low, a faint lullaby in the midst of silence. Esther hoped it brought him comfort whenever he found himself awake in such strange environment.

Stepping inside, Esther gazed at her patient, and smiled when she saw he was asleep.

"Hello Pietro," Esther greeted him, eyes on her tablet. Pressing the button, she watched as it slowly came to life. Soon, she accessed Pietro's file, and started adding information about his upcoming therapy. She was halfway through her report when the first cry caused her to jump in fright.

Raising her head, Esther observed as Pietro cried out again, his arms and legs pushing and pulling. Without even blinking, Esther rushed to his side, putting the tablet on top of the bedside table before trying to reach out for his hand. The melody of the piano was quickly swallowed by his howls of pain.

"Pietro!" Esther tried calling out for him, her hands finding his right one after a few failed attempts. A gasp escaped from her lips when he grasped her fingers so tightly she was fairly certain she would have a bruise. Biting her lower lip, Esther tried to reach out for the breast pocket of her coat, where a sedative was. However, before she could grasp it, Pietro let out a gasp of air, eyes opening wide, lips parted in a silent scream.

The pain in her hand amplified before his grip relaxed.

"Pietro?" Esther called out, eyes searching for his since he had yet to release her hand, "Can you hear me?"

"W—" he struggled to breath, his eyes shifting away from the ceiling to gaze at her. Esther felt her heart squeeze as she realized what he was going to say. Ignoring the way her fingers ached, she squeezed his hand gently.

"Wanda's fine, Pietro." she reassured him, her free hand resting on his sweaty forehead, "She's safe, and you're safe too. You're at the hospital. Do you remember who I am?"

His eyes, bluer than usual, studied her face while his whole body trembled. He was squeezing her hand, most likely in an attempt to ignore the pain that was running through his whole body. Shifting closer to his face, Esther caressed his forehead with her thumb.

"I know it hurts, Pietro, and I can give you a sedative, but I want you to decide what you want me to do." she began, without ever breaking the eye-contact. "I know you're confused, but trust me; you are safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you, I promise."

Pietro took a deep breath, and closed his mouth. He shook his head, and even though he did not show it, Esther saw in his eyes how that movement had hurt him. Gently, she shifted the hand she had rested on his forehead to his shoulder.

"You saved a little boy's life." she told Pietro, "You saved Agent Barton's life. Do you remember that?"

"I—" Pietro licked his lips, and Esther released his hand in order to reach out for a cup of water. Moving his head up with her left hand, Esther pressed the cup against his lips, and gently instructed him to take small slips. Most of the water spilled down his chin, and went down his neck, dripping onto the pillow. Without saying anything, Esther reached out for a napkin after putting the nearly empty cup aside.

"I re-remember... Pain..." Pietro wheezed, his voice full of pain and exhaustion, as Esther tenderly cleaned his neck. Nodding, she met his eyes again.

"You went through a severely traumatic experience. Some common physical signs of trauma include anxiety or panic attacks." Esther tried to explain as calmly as possible, "They can be quite real and alarming, but I am here to help you manage stress levels."

"W—Wanda..."

"I'm sorry; I can't let you see her just yet." Esther apologized as she put the napkin away, "You're in no condition to see anyone just yet. We need to work on your recovery, and only then we'll be able to focus on your sister."

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other until Esther gazed at the machines surrounding the bed. His heartbeat was erratic, and pain was written all over his face. Gazing down at Pietro once again, Esther reached out for his hand, and pressed it close to her chest so that he could feel her own heart rhythm.

"I need you to trust me, Pietro," she told him, unconsciously increasing her grip on his hand, "I know you're in pain, but I'm going to help you deal with that pain. It won't be easy, but I won't leave you. I won't let you go until you're back on your feet."

Pietro closed his eyes for a moment, but Esther felt his hand shake against her chest. Pressing it harder against her skin, she watched as he took a deep breath, frowning as he did so. She observed his legs twitching as pain rolled down his body, and she mentally sighed.

Regardless of all of her concerns, Esther was beginning to worry about emotional symptoms of trauma. Denial, anger, sadness and emotional outbursts were all possible scenarios, and she knew that a victim of trauma could redirect the overwhelming emotions they experienced towards other sources, such as family members.

Esther immediately thought of Wanda and about how difficult it would be for her to meet Pietro again. The brother she remembered would take a long time to return to her.

"H-Help...me..." Pietro mumbled, and Esther watched as he opened his eyes to gaze at her. With a small smile, Esther touched his forehead again, silently taking in the way he leaned against her touch. Nodding, she felt his hand shaking against her skin.

"I will," she whispered, "I promise."

"W-When...do we...start?"

Esther had to stop herself from smiling; he truly was the kind of guy who could not stand still.

"First, we need to take care of your disuse muscle atrophy." Esther informed him, "You see, you've been asleep for two months, and the lack of physical activity causes muscles to waste away. I am quite worried about a possible neurogenic atrophy. You are what we considered a severely bedridden patient, and even though we may not be able to completely reverse the effects of muscle atrophy, I will help cease the damage which has been done to your body."

"How...much...time?"

"I cannot say for sure, but I must admit I am surprised you're already talking so well!" Esther tried to keep a light note in her voice, "I know you will work really hard, and I'll be right there beside you. Doctor Cho will be helping you as well. Do you remember who she is?"

For a moment, nothing was said. Esther was beginning to regret her question, when Pietro closed his eyes shut.

"Yeah... I r-remember..." he whispered, his voice hoarse and tight. Slowly, he opened his eyes again, "Your...name?"

"I'm Esther," the scientist introduced herself, "I'm your physician."

"What's...with the...accent?" Pietro tried to smirk, and Esther had to stop herself from chuckling. No one had told her he was the funny kind of guy.

"I should be asking you that question," she pointed out, "But let's take a rain check on this conversation. You should sleep."

"I don't...want to..." Pietro made a face, and Esther was not convinced it was from the pain, "I want...to...see my...sister..."

"And you will," Esther reassured him, "But you need time to heal."

"Will you s-stay with...me?" Pietro asked, and Esther smiled softly at him.

"Of course."

Ten minutes later, Doctor Helen Cho could be found walking inside Pietro's room, a thoughtful expression on her face. After sharing a look with Esther, who was standing next to Pietro's bed, tablet in her hands, Helen nodded, and approached them.

"Hello Quicksilver," she greeted the blond man, who seemed to be fighting against sleep, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired… Confused…"

"That's to be expected. Do you have any question you'd like to ask?" Helen asked as she accepted the tablet Esther was handing her. Looking down at the screen, Helen frowned as she analyzed the chart Esther had prepared for her.

"I thought… I had…died…"

Silence fell upon the three adults since Esther had taken the opportunity to turn the music off after texting Doctor Cho about Pietro's awakening. Looking at Pietro, Esther examined the look on his face before focusing her attention on the geneticist.

"You did," Helen told him without bothering to go around the bush, "Or so does everyone think. You see, after you saved Agent Barton's life as well as the boy, everyone automatically assumed you had died. However, when they brought you to the hellcarrier, I managed to complete a very thorough examination. That was when I realized your increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis could result in rapid cell regeneration. All your body needed was a boost."

"So, I…didn't…die?"

"Like I said, you died." Helen said with a short nod, and a faint smile graced her pale features, "Fortunately, we had the means to bring you back before it was too late."

"That means…" Pietro paused, and swallowed hard. Esther watched as he gradually closed his hands into fists, his arms shaking terribly at the movement, "Wanda, she…"

"Regrettably, we could not say anything to the Avengers. This was an experiment, and unfortunately the odds were not in your favor." Helen interrupted him, "That is why everyone believes you are gone, and they will continue to think so until you are back on your feet."

"I… I…"

"You didn't see that coming?" Esther tried out with a small smile, but the look Pietro gave her, wiped the smile off her face. Glancing at Helen for a moment, Esther waited a few seconds before looking back at Pietro again, "I'm sorry…"

"No, that's…" Pietro stopped talking as he closed his eyes tightly shut. A cry escaped from his lips, and Esther looked at Helen as the older doctor put the tablet away. Without returning the look, Helen simply reached out for the pocket of her coat, and took a syringe from inside. Ignoring the way Pietro was trashing on the bed, Helen went to his other side, and pressed the needle against his neck.

In seconds, the sedative took effect as it drank away Pietro's screams.

"Doctor Lewis," Helen began, and Esther looked away from Pietro's now tranquil face to gaze at her, "I believe you do not wish to compromise your position as Quicksilver's doctor. Therefore, I advise you not to get too close to him. You are his doctor; you must be careful not to overstep your boundaries."

Dropping her eyes, Esther looked down at her hand. A faint bruise was already covering the back of her hand where Pietro's fingers had been, but she managed to cover it with her coat's sleeve. Taking a deep breath, Esther forced herself to look at Helen again before nodding.

"I understand."

* * *

"What's wrong?"

Wanda snapped from her trance, and looked behind her. Standing by the doors, arms crossed against her chest, was Natasha Romanoff. When the older woman raised an eyebrow, Wanda looked down at her hands as a red light played with her fingers.

"It's just a feeling…" she tried to explain without looking away from her hands. She had no reason to look over her shoulder; she could already sense Natasha approaching her. "I was trying to do something with my power, when I felt something…odd."

"Did something happen?" Natasha asked as she stopped beside the younger girl, who eventually turned to her. After a few seconds in silence, Wanda shook her head.

"No, it's just…" the red around her hands disappeared, and Wanda dropped her arms to the sides. A small smile appeared on her face, "I just had a feeling Pietro's alive."

Natasha stared at her, and Wanda's smile diminished just a little bit. Slowly, she raised a hand, and pressed it against her chest, closing her eyes as she did so.

"I just felt…warmth, and I haven't felt like this ever since Pietro…" Wanda trailed off, and opened her eyes. Looking at Natasha again, she just shrugged, "I guess the fact I'm accepting reality is affecting my powers somewhat. Agent Barton did tell me to hold on to this feeling every chance I had."

"Do you think you're in control, now?" Natasha inquired, and Wanda shook her head.

"I don't know, I just feel like…" Wanda felt her heart beat softly against the palm of her hand, "Maybe I'm finally on the path to recovery?"

"You don't have to walk down that path alone," Natasha surprised Wanda with those words, but the Black Widow simply continued, "And believe me when I say I know what it feels like; missing someone. However, you can use those feelings to get stronger not weaker."

"Yes, I know that's what you're hoping for me," Wanda confessed, dropping her hand as she spoke, "And I'm sorry I haven't improved much."

"I never said you weren't improving," Natasha pointed out, and Wanda blinked at that, "But you certainly can get much better. In fact, Steve and I just went over our training schedules, and guess who your permanent sparring partner is?"

Wanda blinked, and then tilted her head to the side.

"You?" she asked, sounding quite unsure, and Natasha nodded.

"I won't go easy on you; I'll tell you that." the Black Widow told her, "But I don't want you to go easy on me either. This is the chance for the two of us to get better together, and believe me when I say not everyone's worthy of being my sparring partner."

Wanda felt the corner of her lips curling upwards into a small smile. There was a smirk playing on Natasha's lips, and Wanda felt no need to read her to know what was going on. Wanda understood what Natasha was saying; no one had ever had the chance to bond with the Black Widow the same way Wanda was going to. That was a privilege, and Wanda was going to do her best not to disappoint the older woman.

"Don't worry," Wanda heard herself say, "I'm going to be a good adversary."

"Not good," Natasha corrected her with a frown, "I want you to be the best adversary I could find in this Facility. I'm sure you won't disappoint me."

"I'll do my best," Wanda reassured the red haired woman. The warm feeling was still growing in her chest, and Wanda had to stop herself from smiling. She truly could feel it on that moment; Pietro was most definitely with her, supporting her decision of becoming an Avenger. "So, when do we start?"

Natasha's smirk returned to her face at that question. Then, she motioned for Wanda to follow her to the center of the training room.

"Good thing you asked," she said, "Because your new training begins now."

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Q.:** So, who is Esther's cousin? Is it Darcy Lewis?  
 **A.:** A lot of people have been asking me this question. However, I am going to let the story reveal who Esther's cousin is. I just hope you like the possible twist I may or may not have in store for you.


	7. Chapter VII

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing except the plot and unknown characters.

* * *

I want to thank _SirAvery_ , _MissSweetApple28_ , _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ and _Momokeito_ for all of your support. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter VII  
**

Wanda Maximoff had the ability to mentally move, levitate and manipulate objects through force of mind. She could also affect and control particles and molecules, as well as physical forces. She was capable of reading minds or mentally communicate and experience memories and thoughts of others. Apparently she could also project her own thoughts through a neuro-electric interface that gave her telepathy. That was actually the aptitude that worried Esther the most although Wanda's talent to manipulate the mind was also quite daunting.

Pressing her hands against her eyes, Esther felt the wind blow her hair away from her face. Darkness was settling in, bringing cold with it, but the scientist simply did not care. She honestly had no idea of what to do, and apparently the one person she actually felt at easy with was not at the Avengers' Facility.

Then again, Esther doubted she would actually tell Sam about what _Silver Ascension_ was truly about.

 _H-Help...me..._

 _Did you ever have the feeling that even though someone is no longer with you, they are still close to you?_

Esther had to stop herself from groaning out loud as Wanda's voice echoed in her mind. Her heart clenched as she recalled the speck of loneliness on the girl's eyes, the feeling of solitude that seemed to follow Wanda like a shadow.

 _I have that feeling whenever I think of Pietro. It's almost as if he never truly left.  
_  
With a sigh, Esther ran her fingers through her hair, her eyes gazing upwards at the darkening sky. The wind blew again, causing goose bumps to run up her unprotected arms, but Esther ignored it all. Pietro lying in his bed, and Wanda accepting to be her friend filled her mind. For a split of a second, Esther felt her eyes tearing up, her insides twisting and turning rather painfully.

Who would have thought she would feel in such a way a couple of days after talking to Pietro for the first time? Who would have thought she would worry so much about a girl she barely knew and yet felt connected to?

Looking down at her tablet, Esther bit her lower lip, and accessed the folder where she was documenting her experiences. The name _Silver Ascension_ appeared on screen in a matter of seconds, but Esther hesitated about opening it. Slowly, Doctor Cho's voice rang in her ears. Esther knew the geneticist had been right; she could not get too close to the Maximoff twins or she would be kicked out of the team. Still, how could she not get involved with them?

How could she create a barrier between them?

"You must be careful not to overstep your boundaries…" Esther repeated Helen's words, her eyes staring at nothing in particular. Blinking, Esther looked down at her hand; her skin was gradually turning blue, and her muscles felt tender. Involuntarily, Esther ran her fingers through the bruise, her mind going back to the moment Pietro had held onto it like nothing else mattered.

That bruise was a reflection of the pain Pietro was feeling. Did she really want to risk losing the opportunity to help him?

 _I won't let you go until you're back on your feet._

"Miss Lewis?"

Esther immediately reached out for her tablet, which was an unconscious move from her part. Hastily, she looked upwards, and blinked when she saw Vision hovering over her. Inwardly, Esther could not help but wonder if he ever walked anywhere.

"Yes?" she asked back, and Vision paused before he descended from the heavens. His feet touched the grass without making any noise, his head tilted to the side as they looked at one another.

"I am sorry for intruding, but I was wondering if you could help me with something," Vision said as they stood a few feet away from one another. Hastily, Esther locked her tablet before standing up. "Do you have a minute?"

"Yes, of course. What do you need?" Esther inquired, pressing the tablet against her chest. For a moment, Vision just stared at her with his deep eyes. For a split of a second, Esther wondered if he was trying to read her mind, but put that idea aside when she realized Wanda was the one who had that power.

"Wanda…" Vision began, pausing only for a moment and Esther felt her breath get stuck in her throat. "You know what happened to her brother, do you not?"

"Yes," Esther answered with a small nod, "I am aware of the mission in Sokovia. I… I was told about what happened to her twin brother."

"Well, I want to thank you," Vision declared, surprising Esther, "Wanda has been suffering with her brother's death. Most nights she would wake up, and her bedroom would be destroyed because of her power. However, the fact that both Agent Barton and you have spoken to her… You may not know this, but she takes your friendship quite seriously."

"I do too," Esther told him before shrugging, "I've never had many friends, even when I was in the Academy. When I first got here, Sam told me I should never mention Pietro unless Wanda did so first. I was actually surprised when we first started talking, because I've never been very good at making friends, but Wanda, she…"

Esther took a deep breath, and instinctively increased her grip on her tablet. Unconsciously, she blamed it on the cold wind that began to blow.

"It's an honour to be considered her friend." Esther finished her small speech, her eyes meeting Vision's. Her heartbeat increased tenfold when she noticed the way he was looking at her. "Sorry, I'm not really good with words."

"You know, I was born a few months ago," Vision pointed out, and Esther tried not to stare at him after those words, "but one thing I've learned is that humans truly care for the ones they love, and that they are willing to give even their own lives for the sake of others."

Esther felt her heart clench at those words. With a small nod, she found herself smiling sadly at Vision's words.

"That's true." she agreed, "And Wanda is quite lucky for having you to look after her."

"She's in pain," Vision observed, tilting his head slightly to the side, "It sounds right to be with her."

"It is the right thing to do, yes," Esther told him, nodding once more, "And she's going to need all support she can find. I'm sure you're the best person to do it."

"What do you mean?" Vision inquired, a confused mask on his face, and Esther had to stop herself from chewing on her lower lip. Helen's words and her fear were beginning to cloud her judgment, and she could not allow it. Not if she wanted to keep _Silver Ascension_ a secret for a while longer.

"What I mean is..." Esther took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts, "Wanda losing her twin brother, when he was all she had, was horrible. It's only been a few months, and the path to recovery is long and strenuous. Wanda will most definitely have good days and bad days, but I'm sure that having you by her side will be a tremendous help."

There was a pause.

"Thank you, Doctor Lewis." Vision eventually said, catching the physician off guard, "Shall I accompany you back to the Facility?"

Esther hesitated, but only for a second. Still pressing the tablet against her chest, Esther smiled faintly at the android.

"I'd like that, thank you."

Vision simply smiled back before waving for her to go ahead.

The walk back to the dorm area was quicker than Esther had expected, and quite silent. Vision seemed to have no interest in pep talk; instead, he looked like the kind of person who liked to keep to himself. Esther inwardly wondered what his relationship with Wanda truly was. He seemed to care a lot about her, but he also seemed like the kind of person who could not bear to see anyone in pain.

Still, Esther knew he would never abandon Wanda. That much was clear.

"Thank you for your company," Esther said as they walked inside the corridor that led to their rooms, "And I promise you I'll do my best to help Wanda in whatever I can. But I'm sure she's in good hands with you watching out for her."

"Thank you," Vision nodded in appreciation, and Esther smiled one last time at him before making her way towards her bedroom. Once inside, and without ever looking back, Esther heard the door close automatically behind her.

Sitting down on her bed, Esther put the tablet away before resting her elbows on her legs. As she took in a deep breath, she pressed her hands against her temples.

 _Doctor Lewis, I believe you do not wish to compromise your position as Quicksilver's doctor. Therefore, I advise you not to get too close to him. You are his doctor; you must be careful not to overstep your boundaries._

Covering her eyes for a moment, Esther let out a sigh as her eyes settled on her hand. The bruise would soon turn dark and ugly, and it would be impossible to hide it. Not that it bothered her, but Esther was afraid it would catch Doctor Helen Cho's attention. She certainly did not want to be pushed out of the project _Silver Ascension_ , not when Pietro was finally awake and she could actually help him.

Cradling her hand against her chest, Esther closed her eyes. Pietro's blue eyes appeared in the darkness, and she had to fight back a smile. To think he was already more than anxious to join his sister, even though he could not even raise his head from the pillow. He truly was a force of nature.

Esther had no idea how much time went by, her mind completely focused on what she could or could not do as Pietro's physician. She was only forced to abandon her thoughts when the wall next to her shook not once but twice. Blinking, Esther stared at it for a moment, and nearly gasped when it shook for the third time, hard enough to cause her furniture to shift.

Without even thinking about her actions, she jumped out of her bed, and left her bedroom. It did not surprise her to see both Vision and Natasha Romanoff already standing in front of Wanda's room. The Black Widow was the only one to glance her way as Vision's eyes were focused on the door in front of him.

"You should go back to your room," Natasha advised, face blank, eyes narrowed, but Esther still hesitated. "She's probably just having a nightmare. Nothing you should worry about."

"Can I help?"

"It's probably best if you're not around when that door opens," Natasha informed her as she motioned towards Wanda's bedroom with her head, "Her power is too unstable. Last time I met the wall behind me."

"Oh... Alright... Let me know if you need anything," Esther said quickly before turning around, and return to her room. Her whole room shook moments later, and the doctor leaned against her door, her eyes locked with the wall that separated her from Wanda.

 _Wanda has been suffering with her brother's death. Most nights she would wake up, and her bedroom would be destroyed because of her power. However, the fact that both Agent Barton and you have spoken to her… You may not know this, but she takes your friendship quite seriously._

Esther looked down at her wounded hand, and pressed it against her chest.

"I'm sorry, Doctor Cho..." she whispered to herself. She was already too involved with the Maximoff twins, and it was too late to turn back.

* * *

It was dark. A mouth-watering scent filled the air.

There was laughter. There was kindness.

There was love.

Then, everything collapsed.

An explosion.

A scream.

A mortar shell.

Pain. Tears. Despair. Horror.

 _I can help you get your revenge._

Power.

Freedom in shackles.

 _This is S.H.I.E.L.D.?_

 _This is what S.H.I.E.L.D.'s supposed to be._

 _This is not so bad._

Hope.

 _If you die, walk it off._

 _You know, I am twelve minutes older than you._

 _Go._

Rain of bullets.

Silence.

One last breathe.

 _You didn't see that coming?_

Death's hands.

Cold.

A gasp.

Every muscle and bone cried out in distress as Pietro Maximoff sat up straight on his bed. His whole body shook in agony as tears of sweat rolled down his flushed face. His eyes, widened and confused, blinked repeatedly as he looked around at his surroundings.

Blood was pumping in his ears, his heart racing against his rib cage. Everything howled as he raised a hand to his face, his muscles protesting against the movements. It felt hot. He was suffocating as everything seemed to close around him.

Ignoring the way he was shaking, Pietro managed to push the blanket off of him. It hurt to move, but it hurt even more to simply sit up, feeling tears mix with sweat as bullets of saltiness ran down his face.

Unfortunately, trying to get up from the bed proved to be a mistake.

A groan escaped from Pietro's lips as he pretty much slipped from the mattress, hitting the floor first with his knees before falling to his side. He tried using his arms to stand up, but his body refused to cooperate. Releasing a painful breath, Pietro leaned the side of his face against the floor, the coldness of the tiles feeling good against his burning skin.

Pietro found himself remembering the moment when he and Wanda had volunteered to become Strucker's experiments. The pain they had gone through, the sacrifices they had done... At least, he now knew Wanda was safe. She had joined the Avengers, and Pietro could not be prouder of her.

Now, if only he could make his body cooperate!

Gritting his teeth, Pietro rested his left hand on the floor, and tried sitting down. He did not know how long it actually took him to sit up, but when he did, he was breathless. Inwardly, he recalled the moment he had ran to get the civilians away from the derailed train.

As pain crossed his face, Pietro looked down at his legs before resting a hand on top of them. Sadness settled on his shoulders as he remembered the days when he had ran free, and of how those days now resembled to a dream.

That was when his eyes fell on his left arm, and his whole body shook as he studied the bullet marks.

The sound of bullets being discharged from the Quinjet filled the air. Pietro closed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw tight as he remembered the moment when everything had changed. He had spotted Agent Barton with the boy, and his body had moved on its own.

He could not allow for two families to be shattered. Not when he could do something about it.

Opening his eyes, Pietro raised his right hand, his fingers caressing one of the bullet marks on his skin.

He could not even remember the pain.

 _I thought…I had…died…_

 _You did. Or so does everyone think._ _You see, after you saved Agent Barton's life as well as the boy, everyone automatically assumed you had died. However, when they brought you to the hellcarrier, I managed to complete a very thorough examination. That was when I realized your increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis could result in rapid cell regeneration. All your body needed was a boost.  
_ _  
So, I…didn't…die?_

 _Like I said, you did die. Fortunately, we had the means to bring you back before it was too late._

He had died, but they had found a way to bring him back.

Another wave of pain rolled down his body as Pietro observed the bullet marks on his arms. He knew there were many others, scattered through his body, he just did not know how he was supposed to react.

"Pietro!" a voice called out all of a sudden, and the said man looked up immediately. He barely had the time to notice who it was before Esther's face appeared right next to his, her arms going around his torso. He blamed it on his condition the fact she seemed to move faster than usual, "What happened?"

Esther was trying to raise him from the floor as she spoke. Tiredly, Pietro raised a hand, and rested it on her arm, causing her to stop. The physician looked at him, confused.

"I fell..." he said before clearing his throat, his vocal chords feeling tight and heavy, "It's fine..."

"It's not fine. You could have hurt yourself!" Esther scolded him, her arms still around him, "I told you to take it easy. Your body needs time to heal, and you cannot rush it. What if you break something? Do you wish to stay here longer than necessary?"

"No, I just..." Pietro locked eyes with Esther, and swallowed hard as memories assaulted his mind, "I had a nightmare, and I just couldn't..."

He trailed off, but did not break the eye-contact. He saw something flash in Esther's eyes, her arms falling down his shoulders as she sat down on her knees. He watched as she chewed on her lower lip for a moment, her eyes dropping. He looked down as well when he felt her hands reaching for his right one.

"We're going to have to work together," she said after a moment of silence, still looking at their hands. Pietro frowned when he noticed the bruise on her right one, "This project... When Doctor Cho invited me to participate in the _Silver Ascension_ project I was both excited and apprehensive. I mean; could we really help someone who had apparently passed away to come back?"

Esther paused, and Pietro raised his eyes to look at her face. The young doctor did not meet his eyes.

"Then, I had the opportunity to meet you, and saw a miracle come true," Esther continued, her voice dropping a little. Pietro felt her run her fingers through his hand, but refused to look away from her face. He also refused to acknowledge the ache that was beginning to consume his legs. "When you started breathing on your own, when your body finally healed..."

Esther's hands made way to his forearm, brushing against one of the bullet wounds. That was when her eyes finally turned to look at him, her breathing scorching his cheeks.

"When you started talking, and..." a small smile graced her pale features, "When you fell off your bed," Pietro held back a smirk, but his wish to grin faded away when the smile disappeared from Esther's lips, "She told me not to get too involved, but... You've been awake for three days, and I'm already too involved."

"What's...wrong?" Pietro tried not to wince when his breathing failed for a second. His body was betraying him as pain began to eat his muscles and bones. Staring at her eyes was the only thing he could think of to keep his attention on her.

"Your sister is going to hate me," Esther confessed, a sad smile now on her face, and Pietro took the chance to frown. She would never know it was from the pain. "She's going to hate me, and I won't be able to blame anyone for it. When she finds out..."

Her grip on his forearm increased, but she did not seem to be aware of it.

"Wanda, she...she won't hate you. She'll understand..."

The despondent smile was still on her lips when Esther replied.

"As long as you're back on your feet, nothing else matters."

Pietro was about to respond when Esther released his arm in order to wrap her own arms around him. Without saying anything, she slowly stood up from the floor, and tried to drag him along. A groan actually left Pietro's lips when he forced his legs to move, and relief crossed his face when Esther helped him sit down on the bed.

Immediately, her hand went to his pulse, and using her first and second fingertips, Esther pressed firmly but gently on the arteries until she felt a pulse. When she appeared to be content with the results, she looked at the machines scattered around the bed.

"You're lucky I got here when I did. The night shift doesn't really appreciate surprises." she commented all of a sudden, and Pietro stared weirdly at her. Without saying anything, he looked over his shoulder, in direction of the window, and was amazed to notice it was still dark.

"What time...is it?" he asked, and Esther looked down at the watch on her wrist.

"Just a little after five." she saw the look on his face, and shrugged lightly, "I couldn't sleep. I thought about coming here, and do some research, but apparently someone doesn't know how to sit still."

"I've been...sitting still for too long." Pietro protested, making a face, "My body... I'm not used to...doing nothing for so long."

"I thought as much, which is why we're beginning our sessions today," Esther pointed out with a small chuckle, "I truly am amazed with your recovery. You certainly are an Avenger."

"... What is that supposed to mean?" Pietro asked, raising an eyebrow, and Esther offered him a real smile this time.

"Well, according to the reports, when Captain Steve Rogers first woke up after seventy years, he had no problem talking, running and remembering things." Esther told him, crossing her arms against her chest, "It seems to me you won't have half of the problems I was expecting."

"Is that a good thing?" Pietro asked, wrapping an arm around his torso, and Esther nodded.

"I believe you'll be out of here sooner than we think," she confessed, "But we need to find a way to help you deal with your nightmares. I'm still worried about possible emotional symptoms of trauma."

"Did Cap have those too?"

"I don't know, but you're not Captain America," Esther answered as she looked at him in the eye, "You're Quicksilver."

"I kind of prefer when you call me Pietro." the light haired man said with a smirk, and Esther had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, "It sounds funny with your accent."

"You really want to do that now?" Esther asked, raising an eyebrow, and Pietro chuckled before sticking his tongue out in pain. Shaking her head, Esther shifted closer to him, the palm of her hand meeting his forehead, "I think you should lie down. Your increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis may have resulted in rapid cell regeneration, but doesn't mean you shouldn't take it easy."

"I'm hungry."

"I can go down to the canteen, and get you something," Esther told him, motioning for him to lay down with a hand, but Pietro pretended not to notice. Instead, he reached for her right hand, and looked down at it. There was a pause.

"Did I cause this?" Esther's eyes slipped towards their joined hands, but Pietro did not need to hear a response. He gently grasped her hand in a way that his hand matched perfectly with the bruises. Then, he looked at her face, "I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Esther tried pulling her hand back, but Pietro held it a little more firmly, without hurting her. "It actually serves as a reminder."

"A reminder of what?"

Esther stared at him in the eye for a moment before shaking her head.

"Never mind, it's not important." she said before trying to pull her hand away once more, and this time Pietro let her, "I'll just go to the canteen. What do you want?"

"To go for a walk."

"We'll go for a walk," Esther agreed, "after you've eaten. Make sure you're on that spot when I come back."

"Okay, I promise." Pietro told her, hands in the air, and when Esther raised an eyebrow, he nodded. "Really, I don't think I'd be able to move even if I wanted to."

"Remember; if you move our deal ends." Esther stated, and Pietro nodded once again before crossing his arms against his chest. Looking at him one last time over her shoulder, Esther was just about to walk through the open door when Pietro's voice caused her to turn to her side.

"Thank you," he said, and a small smile appeared on his lips when Esther stared confusedly at him, "You know…for keeping your promise."

 _I'm going to take care of you. I promise._

Esther found herself returning the smile, her own voice ringing in her ears. Resting a hand on the door frame, she stared at Pietro in the eye.

"Don't thank me yet. There's still a long road ahead of us." she advised him, but Pietro's smile simply grew wider. Esther felt her heart clench at that reaction, but managed not to show it in her face.

Yes, it was official; she had crossed the line, and it was just not possible to go back anymore.

 **To Be Continued…**


	8. Chapter VIII

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing but the plot and unknown characters.

* * *

I want to thank _MissSweetApple28_ , _Lady-Syndra_ , _Laniya-Weasley_ , _Guest_ , _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ , _Alazensupernuke_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ and _MadBooksHatter01_ for your constant support. I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

* * *

 **Chapter VIII**

 _Pietro! Wanda! Dinner's ready!_

She remembered her mother's smile and her father's laughter. She recalled her mother trying to scold Pietro for running towards the table while holding back a smile. She could still feel her father's hand resting on top of her head when she had approached his side to give him a peck on the cheek.

She could still hear her father's voice as he thanked for the food before telling them to enjoy their mother's cooking.

Then, the mortar shell hit, and chaos began.

Part of her home collapsed. Her mother screamed as she was swallowed by the debris. Her father disappeared as the wall disintegrated. Pietro appeared on her side, arms around her, and pulled her away from the weakened floor.

They hid under the bed.

Tears had run down her cheeks, but she could not recall when she had first started to cry. Pietro's arm had never left her shoulders, his boyish voice whispering promises that she had held onto with every fiber of her being.

Not too long after the first mortar shell had hit, the second appeared before their eyes.

The name Stark had sat there, mocking them, teasing them like the fingers of death. Pietro had moved so that he was protecting her from the missile as if his petite body could shield her from the explosion.

His eyes had met hers at the time. His big, clear blue eyes had been filled with determination while hers had been consumed by fear. At the tender age of ten, and in the middle of the rubble with a missile three feet away, Pietro had still managed to look tall and strong.

 _I'll protect you._

Wanda's eyes snapped open as she sat up on her bed. She felt more than saw power escape from her like a gust of wind, hitting the walls and causing her furniture to clatter. It took her a minute to realize she was crying, and two to push the covers away and stand up.

Her whole body was trembling, her insides twisting and turning in agony. As soon as Wanda stood up, she felt her legs give out, and she hissed in pain when she fell on her knees. Raising a hand to her face, she tried to wipe the tears away, her fingers shaking as memories from her childhood consumed her mind.

It had been a while since she had dreamed about that day.

Closing her eyes, Wanda took a deep breath, and focused her attention on Pietro's voice as it sang in her ears. Her feelings were too unstable, and her power still escaped from her hands as a memory from her parents' passing crossed her mind.

A knock on the door caught Wanda by surprise. Her power screamed against the walls as she felt her heart jump in surprise. Everything around her rattled in shock, and Wanda closed her hands into tight fists. Taking a deep, long breath, she tried to control her power as she stood up.

With long strides, Wanda went to the door of her bedroom, and opened it. Inwardly, she cursed the way her whole body was still shaking, but her breath escaped from her lungs when her eyes fell upon Vision's worried face. Wanda barely acknowledged Natasha's presence behind the android as the assassin crossed her arms against her chest.

"Another nightmare?" Vision asked all of a sudden, and Wanda had to fight back the will to just burst in tears. Instead, she forced herself to gaze at Natasha, who returned the look before nodding. Without saying anything, the Black Widow simply turned around, and returned to her room.

"I-I'm sorry..." Wanda apologized, wincing when her voice failed her. Vision did not even blink at her apology. Instead, he continued standing outside her bedroom, patiently waiting for her to calm down. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"Pain is easier to bear when it's shared," Vision told her, a serious look now on his face. "Do not be afraid to tell me what is wrong. I will not be able to help you if you don't talk to me."

"I know, I know, it's just..." Wanda paused, finally realizing their positions. Stepping backwards, she motioned for Vision to walk inside before the door closed behind him. Without saying anything, Wanda walked around him, and sat down on her bed.

A moment passed, and Vision simply continued standing. Dropping her gaze, Wanda looked down at her hands.

"I dreamed about the day of the bombing," she whispered without looking up, "What we did before my parents died, the way Pietro tried to shield me from the missile..." a sad smile appeared on Wanda's face, and she raised her eyes to gaze at Vision, "I miss him."

Her voice shook, but she did not care. Instead, she raised a hand, and pressed it against her chest. Her heart was beating normally again, her tremors subsiding as she spoke.

"I still feel like he's here...like Pietro never left, but at same time..." Wanda felt her eyes burning, but refused to let the tears spill. Instead, she shrugged and swallowed hard, "I really miss him..."

Vision did not even blink as he made his way towards her side. Wanda half-expected him to rest a hand on her shoulder, but Vision surprised her by sitting down next to her. He only hesitated when it came to raise his hand, and rest it upon hers.

"He was your twin brother and your best friend," Vision spoke, and Wanda felt a sob go up her chest, causing her heart to squeeze, "It's alright to mourn, to miss him. You loved him. So it is okay to cry when you think of him; that will not make you look weaker. It will make you look stronger."

Wanda looked down at his hand on top of her, and gently entwined their fingers together. Sighing, she allowed for her head to fall on Vision's shoulder, and even though she could not see it, she knew his eyes were following her movements.

For a split of a second, she remembered the moment when she had stared at Pietro's back when he tried to keep her away from the second missile.

"He always tried to protect me." Wanda spoke after a moment in silence, her eyes on their fingers. "Even when we decided to become Strucker's experiments, Pietro would always watch out for me. He would always be close by to protect me from soldiers, from Strucker himself..."

Wanda paused, and squeezed Vision's hand.

"I just wish I could have protected him when he needed the most."

"Your brother would never blame you for what happened." Vision told her all of a sudden, and Wanda moved her head so that she could look at him in the eye. "Your brother made a brave decision. He sacrificed himself to save other lives. I am sure he would have not accepted your help if that meant watching someone else die."

Wanda closed her eyes, and allowed for her mind to return to the moment when her heart was torn from her chest. The instant when everything went mute, vacant, lost. Her breath had gotten stuck on her throat, her heart had dropped, reality had sunk.

She had felt Pietro's heart stop as if her own had breathed its last breath.

Vision's fingers squeezing hers brought Wanda back to the present, her heart beating against her rib cage in a strange waltz. She could feel her power roaming up and down her skin, searching for a breach, for the smallest crack so that it could escape.

Wanda breathed deeply.

Slowly, she raised her head from Vision's shoulder, and looked at the android. His eyes were following her movements, silently taking in all traces of exhaustion, sadness and despondency. Concern was written all over his face, and Wanda felt the corner of her lips threatening to curl upwards into a small smile. Vision had always been by her side, watching over her, trying to protect her from herself when her power got out of control.

Before she could stop herself, Wanda raised her free hand, and rested it against Vision's arm. Shifting closer to him, she pressed her lips lightly against his cheek before moving backwards. A small smile graced her pale features when her eyes met his confused ones.

"Thank you," she said, her voice low and soft, "For taking care of me."

"You're..." Vision frowned a little, probably for not understanding what she had just done nor why, "Welcome?"

Wanda fought back a smile as she dropped her grip from his shoulder, and grasped his hand with her two hands. Then, she shook her head, long locks framing her face, partially covering it as she looked down at their entwined fingers.

 _By the way, I have a question for you._ Barton's voice echoed in her head, _What would your brother say if he saw you and Vision, eh?_

Wanda felt her heart return to its normal rhythm as she thought about her brother once more. Pietro would be happy for her, of that Wanda was certain.

* * *

"Trouble sleeping?"

Steve looked away from the sunrise to see Natasha walk through the doors of the training room. She was already fully dressed for business even though they still had time before the first training session. Steve waited for her to reach his side before focusing his attention on the window in front of him, arms pressed firmly against his chest.

"Something like that." Steve eventually said in return, and Natasha also gazed at the sunrise. "You're up early."

"I've heard that every early morning is a beautiful morning. I was just checking if it's true." the assassin commented, hand on her hip. She observed the sun for a few more seconds before her eyes turned to Steve, "Any news from Sam?"

"Nothing yet," Steve responded as he returned the look, and Natasha smiled faintly at that.

"I'm sure he'll let you know if he finds something." she reassured him, and Steve took a deep breath in. "It seems like it's the only thing you and I know how to do these days; wait for a postcard. Who would have imagined it?"

"Well, I've spent the last 70 years waiting for a lot of things, this one isn't any different." Steve commented with a small shrug, "It doesn't' make it any easier, though."

"Yeah, I figured you wouldn't have any advice for me." Natasha pointed out, causing Steve to raise both eyebrows at that.

"I can tell you it sucks having to wait for something," the Captain began, "but hopefully it will be worth the wait."

"Knowing my luck, he probably found a way to go to space." Natasha mumbled, and Steve shook his head at that. "Anyway, I've been planning to tell you; I did a full background check on that British doctor. You want to know what I found out?"

"How do you find the time to do background checks when you're supposed to...? You know what; I don't even want to know." Steve confessed without finishing his question, and Natasha smirked mysteriously at that. "Unless she's some sort of a terrorist or a criminal master mind, I'm not really interested."

"Well, sadly she isn't a terrorist nor a criminal master mind," Natasha informed him, crossing her arms against her chest, "She was, however, the best student of her class at S.H.I.E.L.D's Academy of Science and Technology."

"And that should interest me because...?"

"Apparently, it was her extensive knowledge of human physiology, anatomy and DNA that caught Doctor Cho's attention." Natasha added matter of fact, "She's working on a project named _Silver Ascension_."

"How do you know that?" Steve asked, confusedly, and Natasha shrugged.

"You do know I'm an expert hacker, right?" she asked back, "May I remind you I've hacked into Hammer Industries mainframe and helped James regain control of the War Machine Armor _and_ enabled him to help Stark fight the rest of the attacking Hammer drones. Oh, and let's not forget I accessed the location of Camp Lehigh from the USB you received from Nick Fury."

"Yeah, I know; you're far more into technology than I'll ever be." Steve pointed out with a small shrug, and Natasha chuckled at that. "Still, although I appreciate you watching out for me, there's no need to run background checks on every woman you meet. I told you; I'm far too busy to find and keep a date."

"No, you're far too chicken to go after the one woman who caught your eye." Natasha corrected him, "Still, I'm surprised you haven't asked what project _Silver Ascension_ is about."

"Maybe that's because that project is related to science and medicine breakthroughs?" Steve asked, "If it was something dangerous, you and I wouldn't be having this conversation. You'd gather everyone, and attack whoever is in charge of that project, most likely on stealth mode and with Barton following your lead."

"Ah, you know me too well!" Natasha cooed, and Steve had to restrain himself from rolling his eyes, "But if we follow your trail of thought then that would mean I'd have to attack Doctor Cho. She would never stand a chance."

"Don't let her hear you."

"Let her hear me for all I care." Natasha shot back, teasingly, and this time Steve did roll his eyes. "Anyway, what about you buying me breakfast?"

"I guess I could do that _if_ you promise me you'll stop trying to find me a date." Steve told her, and Natasha looked at him in the eye.

"And lose all the fun? I'll buy my own food, then." she responded as she twirled around, and made her way towards the doors. Steve shook his head, and after glancing one last time in direction of the sunrise, he went after the assassin.

Even though it was early, there were still many members of the military personnel wandering around. Voices were spoken loudly, life slowly awakening between the white walls of the Facility. Occasionally, someone wearing a scrub would cross the hallways, usually carrying papers or tablets in their hands.

That was also the moment when Steve spotted Esther walking in direction of the main doors of the Facility. His eyes followed until she disappeared, and when he looked at Natasha, Steve realized she was watching him. Immediately, he shook his head.

"Don't say anything." he told her, and Natasha smirked.

"Wasn't going to…"

Chuckling, Natasha simply continued walking in direction of the canteen. The two of them had just walked inside when their eyes landed on two familiar figures. Without even glancing at one another, both Natasha and Steve made their way towards the two other Avengers.

"Good morning," Steve greeted, and both Wanda and Vision looked up.

"Good morning, Captain," Vision greeted them back before gazing at Natasha, "Hello."

"Hello to both of you. Did you sleep well?" Natasha asked back, her eyes going from Vision to Wanda, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights. Slowly, the Sokovian girl nodded.

"I am sorry for disturbing your night...again," Wanda apologized, without breaking the eye-contact. "Vision and I talked for a while, and I will do my best to control my power from now on."

"You know, if you ever need to talk to someone who's not from here..." Steve paused as he chose his words, "I'm sure that can be arranged."

"Thank you, but I think I'll be alright now." Wanda said with a small smile before glancing at Vision, "I was told it's alright to miss Pietro, and that it was alright to grieve. My power will eventually settle, and I am sure I'll be able to control it soon."

"I can always knock you out during our training." Natasha volunteered, ignoring the look Steve shot at her, and a smirk appeared on her face when Wanda turned to look at her, "Or we can always train even harder so that you're too tired to even think straight."

"Perhaps keeping your mind occupied will help you." Vision pointed out, and Wanda looked at him before gazing at Natasha. After a few seconds, she nodded. Natasha's smirk widened at that before she turned to Steve while crossing her arms against her chest.

"Weren't you going to buy me breakfast?" she inquired, and Steve fought back a smile as he shook his head.

* * *

He wondered if his current pace was what people considered to be normal. For him, it felt like it took an eternity between alternating his right foot with his left one. Still, and regardless of the pain consuming his limps, he forced his body to move forward. The arm wrapped around his shoulders was a good support, though he did not want to admit it out loud, as well as the hand pressed against his chest.

Inwardly, Pietro wondered if Esther could hear his heart racing as he tried to keep up with the slow pace.

After what seemed like an hour, they finally reached the indoor window of his room. Pietro knew the space between the windows and the bed was not that long, but he still felt breathless and exhausted. He tore his eyes away from the trees outside when he felt Esther's hand leave his chest.

"We need the access code." Esther told him as she released him gently. Pietro barely had time to process her words when a keyboard hologram appeared on the window in front of them. Esther quickly pressed down the code, and the window opened up to its side.

The wind blowing, caressing his face and combing his hair took Pietro completely off guard. Thankfully, Esther was back to his side before he could sway.

"Are you alright?" Esther asked, worried written all over her face, and Pietro looked down at her. She stopped right at his shoulder, causing her to have to shift close to him in order to wrap her arm around his shoulder blades.

"Yeah, I just..." Pietro closed his eyes when the wind blew again. Even from his position, still inside his room, he could hear the trees singing, the birds chirping. After a few seconds, he opened his eyes, and smiled at his doctor. "I just wasn't expecting to have a magic door in my room."

"Oh, I believe that was Mr. Stark's idea." Esther answered, a deep blush conquering her pale cheeks. Pietro had to stop himself from chuckling at her reaction. " _Silver Ascension_ is a secret project, so I believe they created this secret door especially for you. Apparently they were already expecting you to want to go outside."

"... Yeah, they know me too well."

"Do you want to go?" Esther asked, and Pietro smiled at that.

"You don't have to ask." he responded, pulling her a little closer to him, ignoring the surprised look on her face. Unfortunately, it took him a while to finally step out of the room, and finally feel the grass under the shoes Esther had found for him.

As soon as he felt his whole body surrounded by freedom, Pietro stopped walking. Esther still had her arm wrapped around him, her right hand once again pressed against his chest, but she kept quiet. He knew she was observing him, and most likely paying attention to his heart beat to make sure he would not have an attack.

Taking a deep breath, Pietro looked up at the sky. The clear colored heavens welcomed him in silence, the wind laughing at his ears as if greeting him with joy. It felt good to be able to feel the warmth of the rising sun burning his skin, the breeze dancing around him. He had never actually appreciated those small things before. Perhaps nearly dying had changed all that.

He felt Esther's hand disappear from his chest, and Pietro looked down. She was still watching him, but there was a small smile playing on her lips. The look on Esther's face actually took him by surprise, and Pietro could not help but raise an eyebrow at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," Esther answered, and Pietro raised both eyebrows at that. The smile on her face grew bigger as she noticed the look on his face, "You have no idea how good it is to see you like this. It's fantastic and... It's just beautiful."

"You think I'm beautiful?" Pietro teased, and Esther rolled her eyes. Still, there was still a faint pink tint on her cheeks, which itched him to tease her even more. "If you think I'm handsome now, wait until I'm finally back on my feet."

"You know, I take it all back; I preferred it when you were asleep." Esther told him, dropping her arms all of a sudden. Pietro felt the lack of support, and threw his arms in the air in surprise. Stumbling, he gave one step forward, but managed to stop himself from falling on his knees.

There was still pain, but he could deal with it. He had to deal with it.

"I'm so sorry!" Esther apologized as she rushed to his side, her hand automatically on his chest. Pietro put a hand on her shoulder, his eyes staring at the grass below his feet before he unhurriedly raised his head. Without blinking, he focused his attention on Esther, who studied him for a moment before meeting his eyes.

"Wait..." he whispered, and without breaking the eye-contact he raised his hand from her shoulder. Gently, he rested it on top of Esther's, and entwined his fingers with hers before taking her hand away from his chest. Then, Pietro straightened up, and tried walking forward. He barely noticed he was tugging Esther along since he was too focused on going forward.

Pietro only noticed something was wrong when he heard Esther gasp.

Snapping from his trance, Pietro looked behind him. Esther was two steps behind him, their arms stretched in-between them. As he blinked, Pietro turned, head tilted to one side as he observed the doctor. Her eyes were widened in what he believed to be amazement. Still, why was she looking at him like that?

"Wow..."

"... What?" Pietro eventually asked, and Esther went to his side, her eyes searching his.

"You didn't even notice did you?" she asked in a hushed tone, and Pietro blinked in confusion. Without breaking the eye-contact, Esther cradled his hand in both her right and left one. "What was it like for you to walk from the bed to this very spot?"

There was a pause. Pietro shifted his attention away from Esther's gaze to look in direction of his room. For a moment, he pondered about what to say before he focused his attention on the girl next to him once more.

"Tiring… Slow…. Exhausting... Painful..." Pietro enumerated, and Esther nodded.

"You weren't slow, Pietro," she informed him, before quickly adding, "Not from where I stood. You may not have noticed, but you were walking at what is considered a normal pace for me and for any other ordinary person. However, when you tried to walk on your own, you walked at your own pace. I believe I was the reason why you just didn't run off or something."

"What?" Pietro gasped, and Esther continued.

"The pain you're feeling is a reaction to your lack of exercise." she explained, "But Pietro, you are already walking and nearly running when only a couple of hours ago you couldn't even get up from your bed! Your body must be healing at an even faster rate than I was expecting."

The excitement in her voice was beginning to rub off on him. Pietro felt the corner of his lips curling upwards into a wide, white smile, and he turned to face her. Without even thinking about his actions, he released Esther's hand, and pulled her into a tight hug. A small laugh escaped from his lips, and he felt Esther gently wrap her arms around him in return.

"Do you think I'll be okay?" he asked, stepping backwards, hands on her elbows. Esther smile appeared to grow as she looked at him in the eye. Then, she nodded.

"You are a force of nature," she told him, "You keep surprising me at every hour. To think just a few hours ago you couldn't even stand up on your own. Your body...it's marvellous... Everything about your progress is miraculous! You seem to find a way to keep on surprising me! It's just astonishing!"

"Do you think I can get better?"

"Oh Pietro" Esther laughed, squeezing his hand in the process, "You're already getting so much better. I fear we won't have to use any of my previous plans if you keep this up!"

"So, I'm almost Captain America, eh?"

"No, I've told you before; you're Quicksilver." Esther corrected him as she raised her right hand, and pressed it against his cheek. His stubble played with the palm of her hand, "And you are an amazing person."

"Doctor Lewis?" a third voice spoke all of sudden, and Pietro noticed the way Esther's eyes widened in shock. Looking over his doctor's shoulder, Pietro saw Helen Cho standing by the window, hands clasped in front of her legs. Slowly, almost hesitantly, Esther lowered her hand from his face, and turned to her side, "A word with you. Now."

Pietro could swear he felt Esther's hand shake in his as she turned to look at him. The speck of panic in her eyes did not go unnoticed either, and Pietro privately wondered if something was about to happen.

Esther licked her lips before smiling faintly at him.

"I'll be back soon." she told him, and Pietro nodded in response. However, as he watched Esther make her way towards Helen's side, Pietro could not help but feel that something was wrong. For some reason, the solemn expression on Helen's face made him feel like Esther's words would not come true any time soon.

 **To Be Continued…**


	9. Chapter IX

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing aside from the unknown characters and the plot.

* * *

So, I want to thank _Laniya-Weasley_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _MissSweetApple28_ , _MrsMarvel19_ , _LaughterLover98_ , _Alazensupernuke_ , _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ and _30MinutesProduction_ for all of your support and help. I hope everyone's enjoying this story so far!

* * *

 **Chapter IX**

The atmosphere was tense. The stiffness was almost palpable as it had been since the moment Esther had approached Helen Cho's side. The geneticist had not uttered a word then, only glancing at Pietro before turning around. Esther had dared to look over her shoulder one last time, and a sigh of relief had left her lips when she had seen Pietro still standing straight, smiling at her.

At the time, Esther had not dared to smile back. Instead, she had nodded, and followed Helen out of the room, out of the Avengers Hospital.

The trip to the Avengers Facility was heavy, and Esther could not help but feel her hands shaking. Looking down at her trembling fingers, Esther's eyes fell rested on her bruise. It was getting darker, and whenever she closed her hand into a fist her skin would scream in protest as if it was being ripped apart.

Without thinking about her actions, Esther tried to cover the bruise with the sleeve of her coat. Helen had probably already seen it, but Esther could not help but want to conceal it. She could not risk losing everything she had worked for, including her connection to Pietro, because of something so silly.

When the car came to a stop so did Esther's heart.

"Follow me." Helen instructed her as she opened the door, and left the car. Taking a deep breath, Esther opened the door on her side, and stood up. Pressing her right hand against her chest, Esther went after Helen, who was already walking inside the Avengers Facility.

With every step, her heart seemed to shrink a little bit more.

"Come on in." Helen told her as they reached the opened door of the geneticist office, and Esther nodded. Without looking at the doctor in the eye, Esther walked inside, and gravity seemed to plummet on her shoulders when Helen finally walked past her.

Esther's lungs forgot how to function the moment Helen motioned for her to sit down.

"Do you know why you're here, Doctor Lewis?" Helen asked as she occupied her seat, hands clasped in front of her chin, and Esther nodded. Without breaking the eye-contact, Helen rested a hand on top of her computer mouse, and clicked on it, "Would you like to tell me why you're here?"

"It has to do with Pietro." Esther said, her heart hammering against her chest. She fought back the need to swallow dry, her lips feeling dehydrated as she spoke.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Helen inquired, looking away only for a moment, her eyes glancing at something on her laptop's screen before turning to Esther again. Unconsciously, Esther rested her left hand on top of her right one.

"You advised me not to get too involved with _Project Ascension_." Esther told her with a small nod, "That I ought to create a barrier between Pietro and myself in order to continue following his evolution."

"Truth is I was under the belief you did not wish to compromise your position as Quicksilver's doctor." Helen informed Esther, whose heart flipped within her rib cage, "For that reason, I advised you not to get too close to him. As Quicksilver's doctor you should have been careful not to overstep your boundaries."

"I understand we have considered different points of views concerning Pietro's medical care, but I have been following both your recommendation and direction without questioning." Esther told her, "Even if some of my actions do not follow your exact words, I have been keeping my distance."

The look Helen gave her on that exact moment took Esther's breath away.

"If that is true then could you explain this to me?" the geneticist asked as she turned her laptop around so that it was facing Esther. Footage of that morning was playing; starting from the moment when Esther walked inside Pietro's room only to find him slumped on the floor. Everything that happened afterwards – them talking, her trying to help him stand up – was shown up until the moment she left the room. Inwardly, Esther thanked heavens for the fact Pietro had his back turned the whole time.

When the footage showed Esther abandoning the room, Helen pressed down on her computer mouse. Esther's mouth went dry when she saw a new footage, this one showing the moment when she had helped Pietro make his way towards the window. The camera had filmed everything up to the moment when they had reached the window, and Esther pressed the code on the holographic keyboard.

Esther's heart dropped when Helen paused the footage.

"I have never commented on your bedside manner, because I am aware that a good bedside manner is typically one that reassures and comforts the patient while remaining honest about a diagnosis. That was essential to develop proximity with Quicksilver, especially since we were uncertain about his recovery. However," Helen paused, and Esther bit the interior of her cheek, "I am worried about your current relationship with Quicksilver."

"I assure you, Doctor Cho, there is no sort of personal relationship between Pietro and I."

"I hope you understand I am not here to attack you." Helen reassured Esther, hands once again entwined in front of her chin, "However, we have spoken about this many times in the past. We have inclusively spoken about your tactic of trying to draw reflex reactions from Quicksilver while speaking about your personal life. You said it yourself that was not the most professional ideas."

There was a pause. Esther forced herself to keep her back straight, fighting back the wish to just let her shoulders drop. She knew where Helen was going with the conversation, but she honestly did not want to go down without a fight.

"Almost three weeks ago I was in my lab, doing my research, never giving much thought about the possibility of going into the field one day." Esther began, "Then, I was brought here and I was invited to participate in the _Silver Ascension_ project with you as my mentor. I am being honest when I say this project was – still is – everything I could ever dream of. It has been a spectacular experience, and it has been a delight working with Pietro. However, I can assure you we have never, not even once, crossed the line you explicitly told me never to cross."

Glancing at Helen's laptop, Esther took a deep breath, and continued.

"If you want me to withdraw from the project, I will, but I will do so knowing I have not done anything that could compromise my position as Pietro's physician." she stated, eyes locked with Helen's once more. "All I did was to reassure a man who was once lost that he was alright and that he has people who care for him. Pietro spent the last two months lying on a bed, and when he finally woke up, he believed he was dead. He has not been allowed to even see his sister, and he has no idea of what he's supposed to do now. All I am trying to do is to help him understand that regardless of what has happened to him, he hasn't been forgotten and that he still has a place in the world."

Silence settled. Esther could hear her heart hammering against her rib cage, blood pumping in her ears. Her whole body was shaking, but Esther did her best to control her tremors. She refused to look restless in front of Helen Cho, and she certainly refused to look weak. Esther was going to fight for her place in Project _Silver Ascension_ until the very end.

"My only concern is you." Helen spoke all of a sudden, and Esther's heart went down towards her stomach. "The fact you cannot see the danger is what's worrying me. I know how committed you are. I've told you before, you have a pristine reputation, and both the Director and I are amazed with the results you have presented us with. Still, the fact you cannot see what I see is a setback, and something I cannot simply overlook."

"Doctor Cho—"

"It is natural for Quicksilver to long for comfort. Like you said, the situation he went through – nearly dying, and coming back to life – is not what you can call normal." Helen cut Esther off with her words, "However, it is not your place as his physician to offer him that sort of relief. Intimate physical contact should not occur between the two of you, and you most certainly do not need me to remind you of that."

Esther immediately recalled the moment Pietro had pulled her into a hug.

Her heart sank.

"Doctor Cho, what you saw at the hospital...that was Pietro's way of showing his enthusiasm. He finally managed to overcome his pain, and he would have run off on that moment hadn't I been there to stop him from doing so." Esther explained, pausing only at the end as she recalled Pietro holding her hand. "However, we have done nothing inappropriate, and I can reassure you we'll never will."

"That is why the Director and I have decided to try something new." Helen announced, and Esther closed her hands into loosened fists. The tone of the geneticist left nothing for imagination; something big was going to happen, and Esther knew she was not going to like it. "I am going to replace you as Quicksilver's doctor for now on. You'll still have access to the project, but you will not have any contact with Quicksilver until you receive new orders."

Esther's hands went cold.

"Doctor Cho, I—"

"This does not mean you won't eventually return as Quicksilver's physician." the geneticist continued, and Esther's insides began twisting painfully, "However, both the Director and I believe this will be for Quicksilver's benefit."

 _I'll be back soon._

"Is this an immediate change?" Esther inquired as her own voice echoed in her ears. Helen nodded.

"We saw no reason to delay this matter." the geneticist responded, and Esther looked down for a second before nodding. Pulling her lips into a thin line for a split of a second, the young doctor nodded again before standing up from her seat.

Unconsciously, she tried to cover her right hand with her left one. The ringing in her ears was getting so loud Esther barely registered the way Helen's eyes glanced at her hands before locking eyes with her again.

"Very well. I am sorry if..." Esther paused, and swallowed dry. Taking a breath, she straightened up, and tried to look as composed as possible. "Am I to say something to Pietro?"

"There's no need. I'll talk to him." Helen told her as she stood up from her chair as well, "I will keep you updated concerning his improvements. However, there shall be no contact between the two of you until you are informed of otherwise."

Esther felt her breath get caught on her throat at that instruction. Still, she nodded, and carefully stepped to her side so that she could turn around without bumping into the seat she had previously occupied. As she struggled to keep her posture, Esther kept her eyes locked with Helen's.

"Am I excused?"

"Yes."

Without bothering to say anything else, Esther turned around on her heels, and left the office. Without bothering to look at her surroundings, she made her way as fast as possible towards her room. The walk seemed longer than usual, and Esther did not even notice Wanda emerge from a room with Vision on her side.

As soon as she reached the dorm area, Esther pressed down the code on the numeric keypad, and earnestly waited for the door to open. As soon as the door automatically pushed aside, Esther stepped into her room, and fell on her knees. It was only on that moment she realized her eyes were burning and that something warm was rolling down her cheeks.

Raising her right hand, Esther ran the back of her hand through her skin before looking down. It was only when she noticed the moisture on the tip of her fingers that she finally realized she was crying. Then, her eyes settled on the bruise in her hand, and Esther had to fight back a sob.

 _Thank you. You know…for keeping your promise._

 _I'll be back soon._

Esther closed her eyes as Pietro's voice and her own echoed in her ears. Then, her mind took her back to the last conversation she had just have with Helen Cho. Helen and the Director had pulled her out of the project because they thought there was something going on between Pietro and herself. True, she had grown close to him, but not so close to the point of having to pull her away.

What would Pietro think when he found out? Would Helen tell him the same thing as well? How would he react?

Suddenly, there was a knock on her door, and Esther's heart gave a somersault in her throat. For a split of a second, she wondered if she should just sit still and wait for the person on the other side to go away. However, when the second knock broke the silence and was quickly followed by Wanda's voice, Esther's shoulders dropped.

Quickly, she wiped the tears away, and released a deep breath. Waving a hand towards her face, Esther felt her nose burn as she slowly stood up from the floor.

"Friday, please, let her in." Esther requested as she tried to keep her voice normal. In reply, the door of her bedroom was opened, revealing a worried looking Wanda.

"Esther, are you alright?" the Avenger asked, and Esther blinked when she felt her eyes tearing up. Shrugging, she motioned for Wanda to walk inside, the door closing silently behind her. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm alright. This is just silly, really." Esther tried to reassure Wanda with a teary smile. "I've just received some less pleasant news, and before I knew it, I was crying my eyes out."

"I noticed that when you walked right past me on the hallway." Wanda told her with a small nod, and Esther frowned at that. Wanda quickly continued, "But that's alright. Vision and I just thought it could be a good idea to come check up on you. Do you need anything?"

 _I know you've met his sister._

 _You know her powers. And you'll eventually notice she doesn't control them all that well. If something happens, if by any chance she manages to read your mind, what will you do?_

"No, I just... I'll be alright." Esther reassured her, trying to give more strength to her smile. "I was just taken completely by surprise. It's actually quite silly, really, because it's related to my work."

"Does it have anything to do with the project you're working on with Doctor Cho?" Wanda asked, catching Esther completely off guard. The doctor felt all air abandon her lungs as she stared at the Avenger, but her mind quickly pressed her to reply.

"Yes, unfortunately we took quite a turn today, and I guess I just wasn't expecting it." Esther answered truthfully, and Wanda offered her a small yet comforting smile.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope everything goes well." Wanda told her, and Esther had to stop herself from touching the other girl on the arm. Instead, she crossed her arms against her chest before nodding.

"Yes, I hope so too." she responded before sitting down on the mattress. Wanda stared at her for a moment before mimicking her actions. The question that abandoned her lips next nearly caused Esther a heart-attack.

"You know, I never really asked you, but what's the project you're working on about?"

 _If this works, don't you think his team would want to participate in this? And his sister...if she finds out...don't you think she deserves to know?_

 _I understand your concern, but you don't have to worry about that. What truly matters now is that we ought to help him. Everything else is of no concern to us._

"It's a project that allows me to do develop my knowledge of human physiology, anatomy and DNA." Esther explained, trying hard not to reveal her anxiety. Wanda stared at her, and Esther found herself smiling softly at the look on her friend's face. "Human physiology is the science of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical function of humans, and serves as the foundation of modern medicine."

"Oh."

"Yes, sounds a little confusing, but it's actually quite interesting." Esther told her, in an attempt to loosen up. "I just hope I'll be able to continue participating in this project. It's a dream come true honestly."

"I hope so too." Wanda told her, truthfully, a smile on her face. Then, her eyes fell upon Esther's hands, and a frown appeared on her face when she noticed the darkening bruise. "What happened?"

Esther pulled her hand away as soon as she realized Wanda was about to touch her. Resting her hand against her chest, Esther tried to control her enraged heart while trying to keep her face as blank as possible. When Wanda's eyes met hers, she tried to shrug as nonchalantly as possible.

"On contrary of popular belief, working at a lab can be quite an adventure." the doctor declared, trying to keep a humorous note in her voice. "You may not know this, but I'm quite clumsy so it's not really strange for me to have a bruise or two once in a while."

Wanda looked at her for a moment before nodding. The growing tension in Esther's muscles dissipated as the Avenger stood up from the bed, and turned to her.

"Well, I was thinking about eating something. Would you like to join me?" the abrupt change of subject did not go unnoticed by Esther. The doctor knew Wanda was probably suspicious about the whole situation, but did not want to dwell on it, at least, not on that moment. For that, Esther was grateful. She did not have enough strength to deal with that.

"Well, a nice cup of tea does sound nice." Esther told her with a small nod, and she gradually stood up from her bed, "Is Vision expecting us?"

"Oh no, he said he was going to train for a while." Wanda told her, "Why did you ask?"

Esther found herself chuckling at that question. She decided to tease the other woman.

"Oh, just thought something could be going on between the two of you." she said, and Wanda failed completely in her attempt to stop herself from smiling at that.

* * *

The wind felt good against his skin. His eyes had long closed, his body welcoming his surroundings in peace. The clear air was cleaning his soul, washing away the scent of the hospital, soothing his heart.

Pietro did not know how much time had gone by ever since he had been left alone, but he did know he did not want to go back any time soon. That was the first time since forever he was allowed to be outside, and he wanted to enjoy every minute of it.

He just wished Wanda could be there with him on that moment.

 _You know, I am twelve minutes older than you._

 _Go._

Even though Pietro did not fully understand why he could not contact his sister, he accepted it. He knew Wanda believed him to be dead. Pietro also knew he still need to improve in a few aspects and that waiting would indeed be for the bed, but...

Could it be that Wanda could not sense his presence? Ever since they had become Strucker's experiments, and had felt power grow within their bodies that Wanda had always been able to tell where he was and how he was. Their bond had always been strong, but after the discovery of their powers, their connection simply escalated.

 _If you die, walk it off._

Slowly, Pietro opened his eyes, and looked up. The sky had already turned a beautiful shade of blue, the sun halfway towards its throne on top of the heavens. Birds would occasionally cross the air above his head before disappearing into the forest in front of him.

That was when the first memory crossed his mind.

There was a rain of bullets.

Pietro dropped his head, eyes closed shut. The warm breeze gradually grew colder, his muscles protesting at the tension that was growing on the tip of his stomach. Agent Barton, holding the boy, appeared in his mind's eye.

Pietro felt his body move as bullets were discharged from the Quinjet. The grass underneath his legs snapped Pietro out of his trance. Blue eyes looked down, staring without really seeing the green grass. Drops of sweat rolled down his face, every limb screaming as Pietro recalled the moment the bullets had pierced through skin and bone.

His blood seemed to be on fire.

A gasp escaped from Pietro's lips as he lost all strength, the palms of his hands meeting the ground as he fell forward. Everything hurt so much Pietro felt tears burning his eyes.

That was when a hand met his shoulder blade.

"Are you alright?"

Pietro moved his head to the side with great difficulty, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized it was not Esther who was standing behind him. Instead, his eyes met Doctor Helen Cho's, and for a moment he did not know what to say.

"Do you need help?" Helen inquired, and Pietro eventually managed to shake his head in response. Without saying anything, he forced his body to move, and he painfully stood up from the ground. He could feel every bullet scar howling as his muscles pushed and pulled, but Pietro managed to keep his face straight.

"We should go back." Helen told him, silently analyzing his posture. On contrary of what Esther had done, Helen simply walked beside him, making no comment about his incredibly painstaking pace or the way his right arm was wrapped around his middle.

Reaching out for his bed felt far too good to be expressed in words…

"Your recovery treatment will begin today," Helen announced, and it was only then that Pietro realized she had been holding a tablet the whole time. "I've already scheduled everything; we will incorporate strength training into your daily routine and make a few minor dietary modifications. However, since you will be unable to return to the same level of activity and workout routine that you engaged in prior to losing muscle mass, you must ease back into training. We certainly don't want to push your muscles too hard because if we do so it can lead to either injury or exhaustion."

Pietro parted his lips to speak, but decided otherwise when Helen looked up from her tablet.

"We want to work your muscles fully, but you cannot, in any circumstances, force yourself. You feel pain, you stop. That's why warming up thoroughly before working out will help you." she quickly added, and Pietro found himself nodding in response. "That will be phase one."

"How many phases are there?" Pietro decided to ask, but Helen did not even blink.

"Seven."

Inwardly, Pietro heaved a sigh.

"Is Esther going to help me?" he inquired, and Helen grasped the tablet with both her hands before letting her clasped hands fall in front of her legs.

"Doctor Lewis will not be participating in this project for the time being."

There was a moment of silence.

Pietro blinked once, twice before tilting his head to the side, a frown on his face.

"Why?"

"We have decided you must be 100% committed to getting better. Doctor Lewis' presence here would have the exact opposite effect."

This time, Pietro stood up from his bed, since he had been leaning against it during the whole conversation. He was far taller than Helen, but the geneticist did not break the eye-contact as he crossed his arms against his chest.

"What did you just say?"

This time, Helen let out a sigh.

"We need you to be completely focused on your recovery, and Doctor Lewis would only be a distraction." Helen explained. "I do believe your main goal at the moment is to get better. You do wish to return to your sister's side, do you not?"

"So you send my doctor away?" Pietro asked back, "What did Esther say about this?"

"She accepted to step aside from the project." Helen immediately responded, and Pietro clenched his jaw. "Now, as I was saying, as soon as you complete the first phase, we shall proceed to focus on the specific muscle groups we want to rebuild, and then target strength-training exercises to those muscles."

"She accepted?" Pietro repeated, frowning as the words escaped his lips. That was finally the moment when Helen finally released a sigh.

"Quicksilver, I am beginning to think you haven't entirely understood that your recovery was a miracle." she begun, a serious tone in her voice. "The fact you can talk, move and even wander around without much difficulty is, in itself, a phenomenon. However, that does not mean you do not have to your part. On the contrary, you have your own limitations, which we must try to surpass."

"And you think having Esther next to me would make me…lazy?" Pietro asked, his accent going thicker as his annoyance grew stronger, and then he shook his head. "I don't really believe in any of this, but there's one thing I do have to agree with you."

Locking eyes with the geneticist, Pietro filled his lungs with air.

"I do want to get better so that I may return to my sister's side," he explained, narrowing his eyes as he continued, "However, you better prepare yourself. I'll prove to you I'm Quicksilver for more than just for being fast."

 **To Be Continued…**


	10. Chapter X

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing aside from the unknown characters and the plot.

* * *

I want to thank _MissSweetApple28_ , _Laniya-Weasley_ , _LaughterLover98_ , _Guest_ , _Guest_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ , _TitanXyz_ and _CosmicLove13_ for finding the time to let me know what you think of this story. I hope you enjoy this new chapter; it's longer than usual, but I simply could not resist it.

* * *

 **Chapter X**

The bright, red letters of the word c _onfidential_ were mocking her. They had been laughing at her for the past fifteen minutes, and on that moment all she wanted to do was to unplug the laptop, and throw it against the wall. It was either that or point a gun at it, although the second option made absolutely no sense since it was a computer what was aggravating her.

So, instead, Natasha did the next best thing; she leaned against the back of her chair, arms crossed against her chest, glaring at the laptop's screen. Pulling her lips into a thin line, Natasha hummed to herself before releasing a long breath through the nose.

Apparently, she had found her match. Someone had gone through real trouble to keep her away from that particular file, but that only added more fuel to the fire. Now, Natasha really wanted to crack that puzzle, and figure out just what on earth was going on right in front of her nose.

"What are you doing?"

Natasha looked to her side at the question. Steve was standing a few feet away from her, eyebrow raised, arms folded in front of his chest. The assassin glanced at the laptop screen again, inwardly growling at the bright letters that were still mocking her. Then, Natasha turned to Steve, her face neutral.

"What makes you think I'm doing something?"

"You have that look."

"No, I don't." Natasha immediately responded before staring confusedly at him, "What sort of look are we talking about, anyway? I most certainly have no look."

"You have the look _and_ the posture." Steve explained as he walked to her side, his eyes falling on the laptop. Natasha did not even bother to try and stop him. For a moment, Steve observed the red, bold letters before turning to Natasha. "What building are you trying to hack into this time?"

"Funny you ask. I'm trying to hack into this very building we're in." Natasha told him, and when Steve's eyebrows shot upwards, she shrugged. "I don't know about you, but I'm quite interested in learning more about project _Silver Ascension_. However, as you can see, someone really doesn't want me to find out more about it."

"And that's annoying you."

"Pissing me off, actually," Natasha corrected him, without bothering with her language. Steve shook his head at that. "Really, just think about it; what is this project about? Why the big secret?"

"Although it's nice to see you focused on something other than training, I don't think you should go around, snooping on things above our clearance." Steve declared, and the look on Natasha's face forced him to continue, "I mean, why are you so interested in this? It's most likely something related to medicine, so I don't understand why you're so interested in it."

"Why shouldn't I be?" Natasha asked back, "They find the best student at S.H.I.E.L.D's Academy of Science and Technology, and hire her based on her knowledge of human physiology, anatomy and DNA. They offer her a spot in Doctor Cho's team so that she may work directly with Cho, and participate in the _Silver Ascension_ project."

"Still don't know where you're going with this..."

"She's an English-born S.H.I.E.L.D. scientist." Natasha continued, "Do you want to know who she's related to?"

"You really did a whole background check on her, didn't you?" Steve asked back, and Natasha smirked.

"Well, you're going to love what I've recently found out about Doctor Lewis." she continued, "Apparently, she's related to a genius biochemist, who also is one of the youngest and most prominent members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research division."

"Really?" Steve asked, and Natasha nodded. Moving forward, Natasha began typing on the keyboard, but before she could reveal her secret, someone appeared at the door. Immediately, both Avengers looked in direction of the lounge's entrance, and Steve tensed up when he spotted Sam.

"I need to talk to you." were Sam's words, his eyes locked with Steve's.

"Did you find anything?" the Captain asked, his arms falling to his sides, and Sam shook his head.

"No, but I still need to talk to you, and it'd better if we do so in private." the Falcon responded, and Steve turned to look at Natasha. The red haired woman simply shrugged before focusing her attention on the laptop. Apparently, whatever it was that she had been about to reveal could wait.

Without saying anything, Steve left the lounge, Sam following him in silence. As she was left alone, Natasha began typing at full speed again, her eyes focused on the laptop's screen. The name _Silver Ascension_ rang some bells, and gave her an odd feeling.

Suddenly, her mobile phone rang, and Natasha picked it up from the table without even blinking.

"Romanoff." she answered, now typing with only her right hand. A smile appeared on her face when a familiar face echoed from the other side of the line, causing her to stop what she was doing, "Hey Hawkeye. How's the life of a retired Avenger going?"

Clint laughed on the other side, and Natasha's smile grew wider.

"A get-together? Sure, that sounds nice," she said after a few seconds, "I'm sure I can get the Captain to give us some time off. I don't think he's the kind of man who'd refuse a barbecue so I think you can go ahead with that idea. Want me to do anything?"

There was a pause, and Natasha's smile faded a little.

"Wanda's fine, Clint." she reassured her friend, "She's getting better. She still loses control quite easily, but she's been training with me, and Vision has been quite supportive."

A big smile returned to Natasha's face as she chuckled.

"I have no idea if they're together, but it sure looks like it," she said, amusement clear in her voice. "It's kind of cute, actually."

There was a pause.

"Well, you're going to extend the invitation to them, so I'm sure you'll be capable of observing the situation by yourself." Natasha commented, the smile still on her face, but it was quickly replaced by a somber look. "No, I haven't found him yet, but you know me; I love a good chase."

After a couple of seconds, Natasha took a deep breath, and changed the subject.

"So, do we need to bring anything? Oh, and please, tell me you didn't invite Stark." once again, Clint laughed as he responded, and Natasha rolled her eyes. "No, I am not going to use my hacker skills to find out where that man is. We'll still have a blast without the genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist Tony 'I am Iron Man' Stark."

Suddenly, both Wanda and Esther walked inside the lounge, and Natasha watched them with careful eyes. Nodding in their direction when the two girls greeted her, Natasha's eyes slipped towards her computer's screen. Clint was still talking on the other side of the line, chatting about something related to Tony Stark, but Natasha ignored it.

The cursed c _onfidential_ was still mocking her.

"Hey, can Wanda bring a friend?" she asked all of a sudden. The said girl looked at Natasha at hearing her name, but Natasha simply smiled back at the Avenger. "No, there's no new member; she's a scientist, and she's currently working under Doctor Cho's orders."

Clint answered her using only one word, and Natasha's smile grew bigger.

"Okay, thanks! I'll let the team know about the plans for this weekend. I'll talk to you later." slowly, Natasha put her mobile phone away, and smiled as she watched Wanda and Esther sitting down on the sofa. "So, girls, I hope you don't have anything to do this weekend, because Clint has just invited us for a get-together."

"Agent Barton?"

"Us?"

Both Wanda and Esther spoke at the same time, however, while Wanda looked happy, Esther had a confused mask on her face. Twirling around on her seat, Natasha stood up, and made her way towards the sofa, arms crossed against her chest. Her eyes carefully studied Wanda's facial expression before they landed on Esther's.

"Yes, we were all invited to go this weekend, and that includes you too, Doctor Lewis." Natasha declared, and the scientist tilted her head slightly to the side.

"I feel honoured for being invited, but perhaps I should decline the invitation." Esther spoke after a moment. "If this is something for your team, then I see no reason to be there. I'd rather not intrude."

"You don't know Clint; if you think you'll be intruding." Natasha told her before adding, "And you most certainly have never met Laura before, because she'll lecture me for real if she finds out I left Wanda's friend behind."

"Well, I just..."

"We'll be leaving Sunday morning. We're supposed to have lunch, and just stay for the rest of the day." Natasha swiftly interrupted Esther, her eyes returning to Wanda, "I'll invite the rest of the guys before training. However, if we want to have a day off then we seriously need to consider training tenfold for the rest of the week. You up for it?"

"Of course," Wanda immediately responded with a nod, and Natasha had to fight back a smile. The younger girl truly had blossomed into a strong-willed woman. "When do we start?"

"Meet me at the training room in half an hour." Natasha told her before gazing at Esther, "I'll tell Clint the two of you've accepted his invitation."

With that said, Natasha turned around, and made her way towards the desk. Picking her laptop up, she closed the lid, and without looking over her shoulder, Natasha left the lounge. As soon as she stepped into the hallway, Natasha looked both ways before glancing down at her laptop.

A smirk appeared on her face.

Nothing was going to stop her from finding out about _Silver Ascension_ now.

On the meantime, Steve and Sam were standing in a deserted hallway. Tension was thick, the silence deafening. Sam had a serious look on his face, his eyes staring at Steve's solemn expression. The Captain, on the other hand, was staring at the window in front of him, his jaw clenched tightly.

"You think someone's after him?" Steve asked, and Sam nodded.

"The rumors all point to it," the Falcon told him, "There was a brawl in the middle of the night. Apparently some kids started a fight, and one of them had a gun. A witness said that a man came out of nowhere, and disarmed the boy before punching the lights out of him James Bond style."

"What makes you think it was Bucky?" Steve asked, his eyes turning to Sam, who waited for a moment before answering.

"The witness said he saw a metal hand." he stated. "And I'm willing to bet there was a metal arm connected to that hand."

Silence settled. Tension grew.

"I need to go after him."

"Oh no, you don't." Sam immediately interjected, and when Steve turned to him, he continued. "You're Captain America. How on earth are we going to explain you leaving without raising some red flags? It'd be far easier if I go instead."

"We don't know how he is. If he's unstable—"

"I'll handle it. Did you forget the meetings I directed?" Sam interrupted him with a small shrug. "Really, let me go. If anything happens, I'll let you know. Besides, I still have a few tricks up my sleeve. Let me use those, and then we'll talk about you joining the hunt."

Steve took a deep breath before looking down for a second.

"I know he isn't the same, but he's my friend." the blond said, "I know he's hurting, but he needs help."

"That's the reason why I teamed up with you, because I know how important he is to you. However," Sam paused for a moment before letting out a sigh, "If he turns against me, then I'll not answer for my actions."

"Fair enough," Steve said with a nod, "And I'm sorry. This is a huge burden for you to carry."

"Nah, what are friends for?" Sam asked before smirking, "Besides, it might earn me a few points with the ladies."

Steve rolled his eyes at that.

* * *

Four days. Four days had gone by since the last time she had seen Pietro. Not that she was counting them, of course. Still, and even though she knew it was silly, Esther could not help but stand in the middle of her bedroom, her eyes locked with her laptop. Her fingers itched to touch it, her mind called out for her project, her heart ached as she remembered her last moment with Pietro.

How had she come to that?

Biting her lower lip, Esther looked away from her laptop to gaze over her shoulder. There, lying silently on top of her bedside table, was her notepad. The notepad Doctor Cho had ordered her to get rid of, the same notepad where she carried her thoughts concerning the _Silver Ascension_ project.

Esther could not bring herself to destroy it.

With a sigh, Esther reached out for the notepad, and opened the drawer. She carefully placed it inside, before closing the drawer on the same instant F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke up, startling her.

"Doctor Lewis, Wanda Maximoff is requesting to come in."

"Thank you, Friday. You may let her in." Esther thanked the artificial intelligent computer before making her way towards the door as it automatically opened up. Wanda's smile was the first thing Esther noticed, which caused her to smile back at her friend.

"Are you ready?" Wanda asked in her thick accent. She was obviously excited about seeing Agent Barton again as her eyes sparkled, and her smile widened, "Everyone's waiting for us."

"Yes, I'm ready." Esther told her with a nod, and Wanda turned to her side. Quickly, both girls made their way out of the room area, and went straight to the front doors of the Facility. Esther was surprised to see both Steve and Sam mounting two enormous motorcycles while everyone else was occupying a huge jeep. Unsurprisingly, Natasha was at the wheel.

"Where's Vision?" Wanda asked as she eyed the Jeep, and Natasha smirked.

"He flew there. Apparently, he's not a big fan of cars."

"I'm pretty sure he just didn't want to come in this jeep." James commented from the backseat, "We all know how you are when you're driving. You girls sure you wanna ride with us?"

"You could always stay." Natasha shrugged nonchalantly, looking at War Machine over her shoulder.

"And miss Laura's amazing food? No, thanks," James responded as he shook his head, and Wanda glanced sideways at Esther before making her way towards the jeep. Esther decided to follow her friend, still feeling as if she was intruding.

Also, it felt as if she was stealing Pietro's spot because she knew he was not that far away, trying to get better in order to return to his sister's side...

"If you guys are done, we could go." Sam stated as he looked over his shoulder, his motorcycle coming to life as he spoke. Steve's motorcycle also began to roar before he sped off, away from the Facility. Sam quickly went after him, and Natasha did not even bother to wait to make sure everyone had their seat belts on before going after the two other Avengers.

"Oh, here we go..." James nearly whined as he held onto his seat belt. Then, he looked at Esther, who was sitting next to him, the wind pushing her hair away from her face as they speed up. "So, you ready for a day off with the Avengers?"

"I guess so..." Esther replied, pausing only to think about her answer. "I guess it's not every day you have the opportunity to see the Avengers acting like ordinary people."

"Trust me, there's no acting like normal people with these guys." James corrected her, "I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"She'll think we're a bunch of salvages." Natasha observed as she drove, and James looked at the back of her head.

"Thank heavens Thor isn't here. I cannot imagine how it'd be fighting for food with that guy around." he joked, and while Natasha chuckled, Wanda just smiled. Esther tried to loosen her tension, but she could not help but feel out of place. She was surrounded by the strongest super heroes on Earth, and her mind just kept going back to the member that should be there, in her place, but was not allowed to.

"You sure you're okay?" Wanda asked all of a sudden, and Esther snapped from her thoughts. Blinking, she turned to the other girl, and nodded.

"Yes. I apologize, it's just..." Esther paused, and felt her cheeks burn as she pondered about her next words, "It's still quite bizarre to think I'm here, with all of you."

"I'm sure it will be fun." Wanda told her with a smile, and James laughed at that.

"When is it not fun?"

"Yeah, Doctor Lewis, don't worry about anything," Natasha agreed as she drove, a knowing smirk playing on her lips, "It will be lots of fun. You'll see."

For some reason, Esther's discomfort only grew after that.

Surprisingly, it did not take long for the team to arrive at the Barton's house, spotting Vision by the front staircase. Natasha actually took the lead, and slipped out of the jeep after parking it. She silently made her way towards the front door, smiling as she walked past Vision, who nodded in return. Steve and James quickly followed suit.

"This is beautiful..." Wanda whispered as she studied the cottage, and Esther looked at her. The way Wanda was observing their surroundings showed that she had never been there before. Still, there was a smile on her face, a sense of true contentment that Esther hoped would last the day.

"Shall we go in?" Vision asked, and Esther took the opportunity to go last. Silently, the scientist took in the way Wanda walked next to Vision, always drinking in her surroundings around whilst the android observed her. It was just sweet to see the kind way Vision watched over the Scarlet Witch.

The first thing Esther noticed as soon as she walked inside the house was the affectionate atmosphere. She could hear children laughing while adults chatted, the bright light of the sun cascading through the windows, kissing the opened curtains. There was a delicious fragrance in the air, a mix of spicy and sweet that brought a smile to Esther's lips.

"Hey! You made it!" a male voice greeted, and a man with light eyes appeared in front of Wanda. Suddenly, he pulled the young woman into a bear hug, causing her to laugh as she returned the hug. Vision stood aside, watching the interaction with a content smile.

That was also when a woman with dark, long hair appeared at the hallway.

"C'mon Hawkeye, why don't you bring the rest of our visitors to the living-room?" she asked, but the happy expression on her face showed she was only teasing. That was when Clint broke the embrace, and stepped backwards, his eyes lingering on Wanda's face for a moment before he turned to face his wife.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet my wife, Laura," he introduced before waving a hand towards the newcomers, "Laura, these are Wanda, Vision, and..."

Esther felt her insides twist and turn when Clint's penetrating gaze landed on her. Clearing her throat, she moved forward, raising a hand as she spoke.

"Hello. My name is Esther Lewis. Thank you so much for inviting me."

"Oh, there will be none of that." Laura spoke all of a sudden, ignoring Esther's extended hand. Instead, she pulled the scientist into a hug before smiling at Wanda. Without saying anything, Laura also pulled the Scarlet Witch into a hug before speaking, "There's someone I want to introduce you to."

As she reached for Wanda's hand, Laura pulled the younger woman towards the living-room. Everyone else was already there. Nicole was sitting on Natasha's lap, rambling about something under the Black Widow's careful eyes. Callum, on the other hand, was listening to James as he told a tale that involved a general and a tank. Steve and Sam were standing behind James, shaking their heads.

Without releasing Wanda's hand, Laura pulled the young Avenger towards the sofa. It was then that a small newborn rocker came to view. The baby lying inside squealed as Laura picked him up, blurring out sounds and giggles as Laura tickled his side.

Esther knew she was not the only one who had noticed how everything had gone still the moment Laura had turned to face Wanda.

"Wanda, I'd like to introduce you to Nathaniel Pietro Barton." Laura said with a small smile, and the little boy squealed when his eyes landed on Wanda.

For a moment, Wanda did not move. Her eyes were studying Nathaniel as he smiled back at her, his chubby arms extended as he waited for Wanda to pick him up. Her face was blank as she continued observing the little boy, but Laura did not let that stop her. Gently, she walked closer to Wanda, who stood still, her eyes widening a little as Nathaniel babbled away.

"Would you like to hold him?"

Wanda blinked at that before her eyes turned to Laura, who smiled widely. Everyone was silently watching, waiting for something to happen.

Slowly, Wanda nodded.

"Okay, here we go!" Laura exclaimed as she placed Nathaniel on Wanda's arms, helping her hold him properly. However, instead of stepping back once Wanda was holding the baby properly, Laura rested both hands on Wanda's right arm, "And thank you."

Wanda's eyes shone as tears filled her vision, and she bit her lower lip before nodding. Then, she turned to Nathaniel, who squealed in delight before pressing her cheek against the top of his head. One single tear rolled down her cheek as she breathed in the baby's scent.

Esther felt her heart convulse at the sight before her, her chest heaving as she struggled to keep her own tears at bay. Her mind quickly went back to Pietro, who was getting better and better by the day, but who was forbidden from seeing his sister.

He should be there, Esther thought, with his team, meeting the little boy who had been named after him.

"Hmm, excuse me, where's the toilet?" Esther managed to ask through her thickening throat, her eyes now resting on Sam, who was next to her. Softly, the Falcon told her the way, and Esther quickly thanked him before leaving the living-room.

Her heart was on her throat by the time Esther managed to lock the door of the bathroom behind her.

Taking a deep breath, the scientist tried to control her racing heart. Esther's blood was burning in her veins, anxiety growing in her cells as it went from her toes to the top of her head. For a moment, everything was blurry, tears threatening to fall as Esther recalled the moment Wanda had pressed Nathaniel against her breast.

Pietro should have been there. He deserved to be there.

What was on earth was she doing?

Before Esther knew it, her hands were pressing the sides of the sink. Her eyes were staring back at her through the reflection of the mirror in front of her. Esther bit her lower lip as the redness in her eyes faded away, her heart still drumming inside her rib cage.

Closing her eyes, Esther dropped her head, her hair concealing her face.

She needed to tell Wanda about _Project Ascension_. She needed to tell someone about Pietro.

 _But... If this works, don't you think his team would want to participate in this? And his sister...if she finds out...don't you think she deserves to know?_

 _I understand your concern, but you don't have to worry about that. What truly matters now is that we ought to help him. Everything else is of no concern to us._

Esther pressed a hand against her throat, her secret clawing its way up. Her muscles tightened, making it harder to breathe. Gradually, Esther crouched down in front of the sink, her mind a blur, her thoughts one big mess.

Wanda holding the toddler appeared in her mind once more.

All air disappeared from Esther's lungs.

What was she supposed to do?

A knock caused her heart to jump in her throat, and Esther's widened eyes turned to the locked door. Swallowing hard, she parted her lips to speak when a male voice spoke from the other side.

" _Esther, you alright in there?"_

Sam. Perhaps she could tell Sam about the nature behind _Silver Ascension_. Maybe she could take a risk, and let him know about Pietro. However, if she did so, Sam would be put in the same situation she was in, and that was not fair.

So, as she gathered her courage, Esther forced herself to stand up on her weak knees at same time she cleared her throat. As another knock was heard, Esther pressed a hand against the doorknob, and twisted it around.

Sam's worried face was the first thing Esther saw.

"You okay?" the Falcon asked, and Esther forced herself to nod.

"Yes, I'm sorry, it's just..." she swallowed hard once again, "It's just overwhelming to be surrounded by all of you."

"Oh no, we're so not going to have this conversation again." Sam protested, shaking his head. "We're here to have a blast. So, stop thinking about that sort of thing, alright? We're not that bad, for crying out loud!"

"Yes, I know, and I'm sorry," Esther apologized, her heart ringing in her ears, "But you cannot blame me for being uncomfortable. I am surrounded by the most powerful men and women in the whole world, after all."

"I do think that should mean you feel safe, not uncomfortable." Sam pointed out as he crossed his arms against his chest. "Now, if you're certain whatever's bothering you won't get in the way of an awesome barbecue, I'll let you come down. However, if you need to get something out of your chest, you better do it now. I promise I won't make fun of you."

Esther felt her core shake at those words. She could see in Sam's eyes that he was not lying; she could confide in him, and have no fear of having him spill her secret. Still, Esther could not bring herself to do it. She could not put Sam in her shoes just because she was having a hard time dealing with her emotions; it simply would not be fair.

"Thank you, but it's fine," Esther thanked him, ignoring the way her lie sounded pathetic and ridiculous at her own ears, "I'm sure today will be lovely."

"Trust me, lovely doesn't even begin to describe it," Sam told her with a smirk, before motion for her to start walking with his head, "Now, c'mon, let's join the team before James and Steve decide to eat everything or we won't have a sample to taste."

"Yes, perhaps we should." Esther agreed with a faint smile, and she walked past Sam. They had been halfway through the lobby when the whole place shook as if an earthquake was taking place.

"What the hell?" Sam nearly yelled as he wrapped an arm around Esther's waist, pulling her to him as he pressed his body against the wall. Esther felt her heart drop as a flash of red appeared in front of her eyes, disappearing just as quickly as it had appeared. The earthquake stopped, and as silence settled inside the house, Esther felt Sam's grip on her waist loosen up.

Straightening up, Esther looked at the Avenger standing tall behind her.

"Do you think...?"

"Wanda..." Sam finished her thought before he looked at her, "C'mon, we gotta go."

With that said, both ran out of the house towards the backyard. Sam nearly broke the door as he rushed outside, but stopped when he saw the way everyone was looking at Wanda. Esther crashed against his back, not expecting him to stop so abruptly, but Sam did not even budge at the unexpected weight.

Apologizing, Esther looked over Sam's shoulder, and her breath got caught on her throat when she spotted Wanda on her knees. Clint and Laura were on her side, Clint looking troubled while Laura's worried expression grew thicker as she spoke to Wanda.

That was when Steve appeared next to them.

"What happened?" Sam asked, and Esther took in the way Steve was clenching his jaw.

"We don't know yet. I think it was something related to Pietro." the Captain explained, and Esther had to stop herself from swaying at that comment. Instead, she focused her attention on Wanda's figure as Clint helped her to stand up.

"Wanda felt something," Vision spoke all of a sudden as he appeared, hovering above their heads, "Something related to Pietro."

"How do you know that?" Sam asked as Vision lowered himself, his feet gently touching the ground. His blank face studied Sam's worried one before he answered.

"I just know."

Esther's eyes continued glued with Wanda, as the girl shook her head at something Clint was telling her.

 _Did you ever have the feeling that even though someone is no longer with you, they are still close to you? I have that feeling whenever I think of Pietro. It's almost as if he never truly left._

"... It's like...he's alive..." Esther heard Wanda say, her accent growing thicker as she spoke to both Clint and Laura, "I can't explain it, but... I feel like Pietro's truly alive..."

All oxygen abandoned Esther's lungs at those words.

Oh no...

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Authoress Note:** Yes, I know, there was no Pietro on this chapter, but trust me when I say; he will be back before you know it.


	11. Chapter XI

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing except for the unknown characters.

* * *

Hello everyone! I am back with a new chapter! I want to thank _MissSweetApple28_ , _Laniya-Weasley_ , _CosmicLove13_ , _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ , _tazsgirl6969_ , _a-cup-of-insanity_ , _TeiaShore_ , _WriteWithFeeling_ , _MsWolffe_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ and _TraptWolf94_ for all of your support. I hope you enjoy the ride.

* * *

 **Chapter XI**

He was in pain.

His muscles twitched, his veins protested, his skin transpired. Yet all he wanted was to enjoy the way his mind was clear. He could not even remember the last time he had felt so calm. After four days of military training and some dietary modifications, he was finally seeing the results.

The effort truly had paid off.

Flexing the fingers of his right hand, Pietro felt his sore muscles. A smirk appeared on his face as he recalled not only his doctor's advice but also the way he had reacted to her bossy attitude.

 _We want to work your muscles fully, but you cannot, in any circumstances, force yourself. You feel pain, you stop._

Doctor Cho had believed that pain would slow him down. Pietro knew she had been worried about his health, and that she had wanted to make sure everything would go perfectly well. However, pain had been exactly what he had needed to boost his desire to get better.

 _I do want to get better so that I may return to my sister's side. However, you better prepare yourself. I'll prove to you I'm Quicksilver for more than just for being fast._

And proved he did. Even Helen Cho had been surprised by his recovery, although she had never admitted it. Still, that did not stop Pietro from seeing it in her face, and in the way she cautiously examined the results of all seven phases he had gone through.

Yes, he had shown her he was not Quicksilver for nothing.

As he stopped flexing his fingers, Pietro leaned against his bed, eyes now resting on his sneakers, which were lying close to the bedside table. He wondered what Esther would say if she could see him. She would undoubtedly be both shocked and awed by his transformation. Unfortunately, ever since Helen had sent Esther away he had been unable to contact her. Helen had inclusively refused to inform him when Esther was in the hospital just to make sure they would never meet.

With the smirk still on his face, Pietro reached out for his sneakers, and put them on. The sun was burning outside, the clear sky calling out for him. His muscles seemed to disapprove his second run of the day, but Pietro simply could not ignore the opportunity.

As he straightened up, Pietro stretched his neck and rolled his shoulders. He had been informed he could not abandon the hospital's premises, and so far he had done what he was told. However, after his first run on that morning, Pietro was starting to feel restless. He knew he could not see his sister, but leaving the hospital's premises did not exactly mean he would meet her, did it?

Without bothering to be subtle, Pietro looked up, in direction of the camera located on the far wall. The smirk on his face widened.

"Sorry doc," he muttered, without looking away from the camera, "It's time to run."

With that said, Pietro disappeared from the room. People appeared to be frozen as he sped past them, zooming at full speed. The automatic doors barely seemed to move as he rushed past them, and a wide grin appeared on his face as the main doors appeared after a turn.

He was going to take a risk.

Forcing his legs to move even faster, Pietro bolted out of the Avengers Hospital. A cry of happiness nearly escaped from his lips, but Pietro managed to control himself. There were still various soldiers around, and he truly did not want to risk being found. True, they would be unable to catch him, but he seriously did not want a chase.

As he ran, Pietro observed the road ahead of him. He could see deep tire marks on the ground, which meant that road was used frequently. A sly smirk appeared on Pietro's lips as he continued running down the road, feeling the wind pushing his hair away from his face.

Running was exhilarating, and by heavens Pietro had missed it.

As the tire marks made a turn to the right, Pietro did the same. He had probably run twenty miles, but it felt nothing. His sore muscles were already warm from the exercise, and his heart was beating peacefully against his rib cage.

 _You are a force of nature._

Esther's voice rang in his ears as Pietro ran. Inwardly, he agreed with her; he did feel like a force of nature. There were still a few things he had yet to fully understand, but that did not change the fact he did feel invincible.

A frown appeared on Pietro's face when a building came into view at the horizon. It was oddly similar to the Avengers Hospital; the same modernized lines, jeeps scattered around, and despite the distance he could already see military personnel jogging around.

Tilting his head to the side, Pietro increased his speed. As the building grew closer, so did the gigantic logo placed next to the front doors.

Pietro had to stop himself from stumbling on his own two feet as his eyes widened in shock. Immediately, he rushed towards a jeep, and finally stopped running. His lungs were burning, but his breath was stuck in his throat as Pietro continued staring at the logo.

That building belonged to the Avengers.

What the hell?

That was when Pietro froze.

Could it be that Esther was inside that building? Better yet, could it be that his sister was inside that building? He knew Wanda was with the Avengers; Esther had told him such in various occasions. So, could it be that she was in there, unaware of his presence?

His insides twisted as he thought about the last time he had seen Wanda. Unconsciously, his body shifted towards the building, his heart calling out for his sister.

 _Regrettably, we could not say anything to the Avengers. This was an experiment, and unfortunately the odds were not in your favor._ Helen's voice echoed in his mind. _That is why everyone believes you are gone, and they will continue to think so until you are back on your feet._

Pietro felt his heart drop.

Wanda believed him to be dead. Everyone believed he was dead.

Slowly, Pietro looked down at his arms, which were concealed by his running long sleeve shirt. Without thinking about his actions, Pietro rested his right hand on his left forearm, exactly where he knew a bullet scar was. A jolt of pain ran up his arm, causing Pietro to close his eyes. In the back of his mind, he knew the pain was psychological, but that did not stop him from reliving what had happened in Sokovia.

The sound of the bullets being discharged from the Quinjet whispered in his ears, growing stronger as flashes of that fight consumed his mind. Pietro could almost see Agent Barton turning his back to the Quinjet while cradling the boy against his chest.

Pietro's body burst in pain as he fell onto his knees, his mouth opened in a voiceless scream.

His arms shook as Pietro struggled to hold his weight. His mind was flooding with images and sounds, the smell of destruction reaching his nostrils as he recalled the horror they had survived to. His whole body convulsed as he recalled the precise second he had moved towards Agent Barton and the boy.

The pain escalated, and Pietro had to bit his lower lip hard to stop himself from crying out. The metallic taste of blood reached his tongue, but he barely paid attention to the bitter taste. All Pietro could feel was his limbs burning as memories consumed him.

The line between nightmare and reality grew thinner as the memories grew stronger.

 _I'll protect you._

Pietro grunted as his own voice sang in his ears. In his mind eye, he could see a ten years-old version of himself, hiding under the bed, covering his sister. A mortar shell was lying in front of them, a silent threat just waiting for the moment to explode and rip their lives

He had promised to protect his sister back then. He had promised to watch over his sister when they had decided to become Strucker's experiments.

Pietro clenched his hands, feeling the dirty underneath his fingers, piercing his skin. His body tensed as he forced himself to kneel on the ground, sweat rolling down his flushed face. The more he struggled against his nightmares, the worst his physical condition became, but Pietro refused to give up.

He had someone waiting for him to get better. He had to fight his nightmares if he wanted to return to Wanda's side, and do what he did best.

As he took a deep breath in, Pietro felt his senses gradually return to life. He became aware of the blowing wind, of the burning sun, and of the voices that were slowly getting closer to his position.

Cautiously, Pietro looked over the jeep, and saw two very familiar men walking in his direction. His heart pummeled against his rib cage as Pietro watched both Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson chatting, their feet leading them to the two motorcycles resting next to the jeep.

Pietro sprang into action, disappearing from behind the jeep in direction of the trees. As he took refugee behind one of the trees, Pietro watched as Steve and Sam continued talking. He barely noticed the way his lungs were begging for oxygen, only taking a deep breath when the burning sensation became too strong.

If Steve and Sam were there, then there was a high possibility for Wanda to be there as well.

 _Like I said, you died. Fortunately, we had the means to bring you back before it was too late._

 _That means… Wanda, she…_

 _Regrettably, we could not say anything to the Avengers. This was an experiment, and unfortunately the odds were not in your favor. That is why everyone believes you are gone, and they will continue to think so until you are back on your feet._

Pietro had gone through seven phases in four days, and Helen still believed he was not ready. However, the more he watched Steve and Sam talking, the more determined Pietro became. He was going to talk to Doctor Helen Cho, and he would see his sister.

He would see to that.

* * *

Project _Silver Ascension_ was a success. There was really no other way to put it. They had reached out for the impossible and made it possible. She still could not truly believe how much they had achieved with that project. In fact, every time she recalled the moment she had discovered Pietro to be alive after the battle in Sokovia... Well, Helen Cho would willingly go crazy if she could.

Instead, Helen kept a straight face as she examined her reports. They had gone through seven phases in four days. It was not as if she had not been expecting a rapid improvement, but that was absolutely astounding. Pietro Maximoff truly was Quicksilver for more than just being fast.

As she released a deep breath, Helen put the papers down on her desk before making her way towards the window behind her chair. For a moment, she simply observed the horizon, taking in the clear heavens and vibrant sky.

Pietro was indeed getting better, and she had no reason not to inform the Avengers about him.

All of a sudden, the door of her office was opened, and Helen looked over her shoulder. Director Nick Fury was standing, hand resting on the doorknob before he closed the door behind him. Gradually, Helen turned around, back straight, hands clasped in front of her legs.

"So, I've received your latest report." Fury commented, his hands hidden behind his back, "I must say I'm impressed."

"The project was a success." Helen agreed with a nod, "I must say I'm amazed by the results. Our fears, the high risks... I believe we've underestimated Quicksilver, and his ability to surprise us all."

"I do remember our first debate about this." Fury agreed as he approached the desk, "I also remember our discussion about the extremely high risk we would be taking if we were ever to give this project the green light."

"Yet here we are." Helen stated, and Fury nodded.

"And yet here we are," he repeated before looking down at the documents on Helen's desk. Pietro's photo was glued to the first one, and for a moment nothing was said. Then, Fury rested a hand on top of the papers, "Do you think he's ready?"

"I have been thinking about that." Helen began, locking eyes with Fury. "Physically he is ready. Emotionally and mentally, I am not so sure. I do know he has been having nightmares; he has been having them ever since he regained consciousness. However, he went through a severely traumatic experience. Some common physical signs of trauma include anxiety or panic attacks, and both can be quite real and alarming to him."

"Do you think he's unstable?"

"Quicksilver will suffer from emotional trauma for a long time, of that I have no doubt." Helen told Fury, "Denial, anger, sadness and emotional outbursts are all possible scenarios. The worst problem will be having Quicksilver redirecting the overwhelming emotions he has experienced towards other sources, such as family members."

"Both Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch have experienced many emotional traumas, and aside from some outbursts here and there, they are stable." Fury pointed out, and Helen took a deep breath through the nose before speaking.

"Yes, but how many of them have survived death?"

Silence fell, and it became so deafening that it was easy to hear the birds chirping outside. Both Helen and Fury kept their eyes locked for a moment until Fury looked down at the documents again. Gently, he picked the paper with Pietro's photo, and studied it for a moment.

"You asked me if he's ready," Helen continued, arms crossed against her chest, "He is. Quicksilver worked hard because he wanted to return to his sister's side. His increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis have resulted in rapid cell regeneration. If we compare his body to a normal person's body, then I'd say his works 100% faster. However, I'm not sure how he will deal with his particular trauma."

"There is one who can help him." Fury declared, without looking away from Pietro's file. Helen released a breath.

"Do you really think he'll be able to help Quicksilver?" the geneticist inquired, "I understand they have a few things in common; both went under while trying to protect others. Their bodies went into an extreme state of shock, and both woke up disoriented. However, there are things that are completely different–"

"But are those differences so strong to the point of stopping one from helping the other?" Fury interrupted Helen, finally looking up from the paper. "Your ambition was to get him back on his feet. You pulled Doctor Lewis out of the project because you wanted to make sure he would stay focused. I'd say the project was a success. I think he deserves to have a saying in all this."

"He wants to return to his sister's side. You already know what he's going to say if you ask for his opinion." Helen stated, and Fury straightened up at that.

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." he declared, "In fact, I've asked him to come here."

"What?" Helen asked, surprise written all over her face. "You expect him to show up here? You do realize how dangerous that is, don't you?"

"The Avengers are not in the premises." Fury reassured her, "In fact, if Quicksilver has indeed gotten better, than I'm sure he'll come here much faster than we expect."

All of a sudden, the door of the office was opened, and both Fury and Helen turned to see Pietro Maximoff walking inside. He looked like someone who had just returned from a stroll on the park, and not like someone who had just run his way there.

"You're just in time!" Fury announced, looking at Pietro. Slowly, he put the paper down, and crossed his arms against his chest. "Would you like to join us?"

"What is this about?" Pietro asked, looking wearily at both the Director and his doctor. Helen glanced at the back of Fury's head before turning to him.

"We'd like to talk to you about your condition." she explained, without moving from her spot. "The Director Fury and I were talking about what happened to you, including all of your most recent actions."

"My actions?" Pietro repeated.

"Why don't you close the door so that we may have this conversation in private?" Fury asked, "We have a lot to talk about, after all."

"Listen, if this is about my second run, I assure you, I didn't know where I was heading until I got there," Pietro declared as he closed the door, his eyes never leaving Fury's. Helen tilted her head slightly to the side at that, frowning as she did.

"What second run?" she asked, but when Pietro simply looked at her, she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Did you leave the hospital's premises?"

"It seems to me I'm faster than all the technological stuff you have around." Pietro answered with a knowing smirk. Helen's stern look became even more preeminent at his words, but Pietro refused to back down, "And even if I did go on a second round, I assure you I didn't do anything you didn't want me to."

"I know you see me as being the villain, Quicksilver, but I assure you everything I've done so far was to protect you." Helen told him, and Fury glanced at her before turning to Pietro.

"So, apparently, you've been jogging around." the Director observed, a hint of amusement in his voice, which only aggravated Helen's frustration. Pietro finally looked away from his doctor to look at Fury. "It's funny because we've asked you to come here because of that."

"You are finally letting me go?" Pietro asked him, crossing his arms against his chest as he spoke. Fury stared at him for a moment before he stepped to his side.

"That was up to debate until this very moment." the Director confessed, hands now clasped behind his back. "However, you must understand why we're so apprehensive about informing everyone about you."

"I do understand why you're worried," Pietro agreed with a nod, "But I also know I don't deserve to be in the dark any longer. I've accomplished all seven phases Doctor Cho has put me through. I've been jogging around the premises of the hospital while making sure no one sees me… I honestly don't know what more you want from me."

"We want to make sure you're ready," Helen told him, and Pietro turned to her. "You've gone through a traumatic experience, and it is normal for you to struggle with upsetting emotions, frightening memories, or a sense of constant danger. You may also feel numb, disconnected and unable to trust other people. You may be feeling better now, but you will be troubled from time to time by painful memories or emotions – especially in response to triggers such as an image, sound or situation that reminds you of the traumatic experience."

"You do know what your line of work is, do you not?" Fury asked when Helen trailed off, a serious mask on her face. Pietro took a deep breath in, but did not even blink.

"I can handle a couple of nightmares." he reassured them, "I'm not a baby. I may suffer from all that stuff you mentioned, but I am strong enough to handle them. I seriously don't need a babysitter. All I need is to go back to my sister's side."

There was a pause.

"Oh, and I'd like to have my physician back." Pietro added, and Helen felt more than saw the smirk on Fury's face.

"You know you're not the same Quicksilver the team knew," the Director pointed out, "You know you're not the same person. You know who they are expecting, and you also know who they are getting."

"You're right, I'm not the same Quicksilver that fought in Sokovia," Pietro agreed with a nod, "I'm a better version of Quicksilver, and I won't let you get in the way. I am going to return to my sister's side. I've earned that right."

Slowly, Fury turned to look at Helen, who returned the gaze. Pietro continued standing close to the door watching the two of them. A period of silence rolled by, and it was only broken when Fury rested both hands on Helen's desk, his eyes never leaving the geneticist's.

"He's earned that right," the Director spoke in a serious tone, and Helen sighed at that, shoulders dropping in resignation. Pietro, who was silent, smirked, a mischievous twinkle emerging in his eyes, "It's time to take him home."

 **To Be Continued…**


	12. Chapter XII

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing except the plot and the unknown characters.

* * *

I want to thank _CosmicLove13_ , _Laniya-Weasley_ , _MissSweetApple28_ , _WriteWithFeeling_ , _Guest_ , _inperfection_ , _Guest_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _Guest_ , and _HauntedCinders_ for finding the time to let me know your thoughts about this story. I really hope everyone is ready for the latest twists and revelations!

* * *

 **Chapter XII**

The world seemed to have lost its voice. Either that or her ears had lost the ability to hear. Her lungs also appeared to have lost all coordination. They burned, but they did not inhale. Her whole body seemed to have shut down since she did not even notice where she was until Laura sat down next to her.

Apparently they had taken her back to the house, and made her sit on the sofa.

"Are you alright?" Laura asked, concern written all over her face. Wanda blinked at her worry, her body still not responding to the exterior stimulus, "I'm sorry. I should've known this would be a bit too much for you to handle. Clint kept telling me you were strong, but I should've listened to my sixth sense."

"No, I..." Wanda swallowed dry. Strangely, it felt weird to talk. Her muscles were stiff, and it felt like her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. Slowly, Wanda turned her head to face Laura. "I'm alright, I just..."

Wanda pressed a hand against her chest, her words dying on her tongue. Her heart. Not too long ago, her heart had been ripped from her chest, leaving a cold void in her core. However, on that moment, she was feeling warm. It was almost as if a gentle caress had kissed her center, awakening her from the sleep she had fallen into three months before.

It was an exotic, foreign feeling and yet it was so enticing, and so familiar.

"It's like, I've been numb for so long..." Wanda continued, her eyes dropping in direction of her chest before turning to Laura again, "I feel like I've just woken up from a deep sleep. I feel my fingers tingling, and my heart... I only used to feel like this when Pietro was alive."

"Is that why you think he's alive?" Laura cautiously asked, and Wanda paused before replying.

"I know how that sounds," she said without breaking the eye-contact, "I know you must all think I'm crazy. Even I cannot help but question myself, but this feeling... I had dreams… I had moments when I thought Pietro could be alive, but now? Now it's almost like... It's almost like..."

Wanda closed her eyes, feeling her heart beat steadily against her chest. For a moment, she drifted away with the gentle tune before she forced herself to open her eyes.

"I feel his heart beating along with mine."

"Here you go."

Clint's deep voice snapped Wanda from her daze. The young woman looked at him in time to see Clint handing her a cup of tea. Silently, Wanda cradled the warm cup with both her hands, quietly thanking him for it. With a short nod, Clint went to Laura's side, and sat down on the sofa's arm.

"So, I know you're telepathic, and therefore have the ability to sense minds and emotions, but..." Clint paused, but Wanda already knew what he wanted to say. The problem was that everyone was too afraid to address the subject, fearing they would hurt her in the process. "Your brother, he..."

"I understand what you mean, Agent Barton, but I cannot ignore my feelings." Wanda spoke up as Clint trailed off. Gently, she rested the cup on her knees. "I know this makes no sense. Even I don't fully understand what happened or why I'm feeling like this, but I am, and I... It's like my connection to Pietro is rebuilding itself. I feel my body reacting to it. There's warmth, joy...there's a bundle of emotions I only used to feel when Pietro was next to me."

Laura looked at Clint, uncertainty written all over her face. Clint did not look any better, and he held his wife's gaze for a moment before he turned to Wanda again. Then, he cleared his throat.

"We're just worried about you," he confessed, looking surprisingly uneasy. Unconsciously, he began gesticulating as he spoke. "We've spoken about this before, and I know you don't want to let your brother go, but... Wanda, Pietro... You know what happened in Sokovia. You know what happened to him."

"It's completely understandable that you don't wish to lose your connection to him," Laura proceeded, hands clasped together. "We genuinely hope you never do, but sweetie it's not good for you to hold onto to a hope that won't come true. No matter how hard we wish it could become a reality, there are things that are just...impossible."

Gradually, a child's wail grew stronger. Laura stood up from the sofa on the same instant Natasha walked inside through the back door, holding Nathaniel against her chest. With a small smile, Laura went to Natasha, and picked Nathaniel up as the baby raised his arms towards her.

"Sorry, I tried to keep him occupied, but he just misses his mommy." Natasha apologized, glancing swiftly towards Clint and Wanda. Clint was the only one who met her eyes as Wanda was busy observing the weeping toddler.

"He's probably hungry." Laura explained as she rocked Nathaniel, his face shifting closer to her breast. Looking away from Natasha, she turned to Clint. "I'll be right back."

With that said, Laura made her way towards the upper floor, Nathaniel's wail turning into soft sobs as his mother hushed sweet words to his ear. When silence fell on the living-room once more, Natasha focused her attention on both Clint and Wanda.

"So, Clint, what do you say if we let Vision come in and get Wanda?" she asked, tilting her head to the side. For a moment, Hawkeye just stared weirdly at her. When Natasha nodded, Clint turned to Wanda, and rested a hand on the young woman's shoulder. Slowly, Wanda turned to him.

"What do you say?" he asked, and Wanda waited for a moment before nodding. Without wasting any time, Natasha made her way towards the door, and nodded to whoever was outside. In a matter of seconds, Vision was making his way to Wanda's side, patiently waiting for her to stand up.

"So, is there any particular reason as to why you rushed Wanda out of here?" Clint asked as he approached Natasha's side, both of them watching as Vision led the Scarlet Witch to the backyard. Natasha crossed her arms against her chest.

"I need to talk to you about Doctor Lewis." Natasha eventually said, and Clint blinked at that. As she released a long breath, Natasha turned to face him. "There's something suspicious about her and about the project she's working on."

"Oh, so that's why you wanted her to come today." Clint observed as he rested a hand on his hip, and Natasha shrugged.

"I tried to convince Steve that something fishy is going on. He told me I shouldn't meddle in other people's affairs." she pointed out, her eyes turning to Clint. "However, I just can't ignore the whole thing. They offered her – the best student at S.H.I.E.L.D's Academy of Science and Technology – the possibility of working alongside Doctor Cho in a very particular project. So particular that it's confidential, and not even I can hack into that particular file."

"What's the name of the project?"

" _Silver Ascension_ ," Natasha immediately responded, and Clint blinked at that. At his silence, Natasha raised an eyebrow, and took in the trouble expression on his face. Taking a deep breath in, she turned to face him. "What? What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, it's just that..." Clint paused before shrugging, "When you said that name, someone came to mind, but it's impossible. Never mind..."

"What do you mean someone came to mind?" Natasha pressed on, and Clint let out a sigh. Twitching the fingers of his right hand in thought, Clint crossed his arms against his chest before walking closer to the door in front of him. For a moment, he just looked outside, his eyes resting on Wanda as she spoke with Esther, always under Vision's attentive gaze.

Then, he turned to Natasha again.

"That _Silver Ascension_ project you spoke of... Do you know what it's about?" he asked, and Natasha shrugged before making her way to Clint's side.

"It's about some medical breakthrough. Of that I'm positive based on the fact Esther has quite the knowledge of human physiology, anatomy and DNA." she explained, "Also, she's related to a genius biochemist, who is one of the youngest and most prominent members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research division."

"Is it someone I know?" Clint asked, and Natasha shook her head.

"Even I don't know her, but I've read a few things related to her work mostly because her genius level intellect helped to develop many breakthrough equipment for S.H.I.E.L.D."

"You've certainly done your homework." Clint teased her, and Natasha rolled her eyes. "However, to answer your other question..."

Clint trailed off, his eyes once again finding Wanda's figure at the distance. The young woman was now sitting on a bench, next to Esther, listening as the doctor spoke. Vision was still standing next to Wanda, but James had approached him.

"What is it, Clint?" Natasha pressed on, and Hawkeye looked away from the small group to focus on her. "What are you thinking about?"

"The name _Silver Ascension_... It reminded me of Pietro 'Quicksilver' Maximoff..."

Silence fell. Natasha stared at Clint, who returned the eye-contact with a mix of sadness and melancholia. For a moment, nothing was said as the two friends continued looking at one another. Slowly, Natasha narrowed her eyes before gazing in Wanda's direction.

"That's impossible."

"I'm not saying otherwise." Clint immediately replied, and Natasha gritted her teeth.

"You know what happened to him." she continued, and Clint nodded. "To even think they might be toying with such an idea is ridiculous."

"I'm not saying it makes sense, I'm just saying what I thought of when you mentioned the name of the project." Clint defended himself. "I know better than anyone what happened to him, but when you said it... And then there's what Wanda just told us."

"Clint, it's impossible." Natasha repeated, straightening her back as she spoke. "You're talking about someone who died. I know there's been some crazy stuff going around, but... Do you really think they'd go that far? And what about Doctor Lewis?"

At Natasha's last question, both of them turned to look at the said doctor. On that moment both Esther and Wanda were focused on Sam, who was talking to them while Steve laughed. Slowly, Natasha focused her attention on Clint again.

"Do you think...?"

"It could explain why Wanda suddenly feels like her brother is alive." Clint responded before Natasha could finish her question, "And it's true; this makes no sense. I might be wrong, but what if something happened? What if somehow, in some way, Doctor Cho found a way to create a miracle?"

"This is crazy. We'd have to be sure." Natasha commented as she looked down for a moment. Clint stared at his friend before letting his arms drop to his sides.

"Perhaps you should pay Doctor Cho a visit." he pointed out, and Natasha bit the interior of her right cheek before shaking her head. With a frown, she gazed at Esther's figure again.

"No, I know who's going to give me all the answers I need." she said without looking away from the young doctor, "And I'm going to find out what's going on today."

"Natasha..."

"What? It's not like I'm going to threaten her. I'm just going to have a nice talk with Doctor Lewis." Natasha said as Clint raised an eyebrow. The assassin was just about to protest when Laura emerged from the hallway, a sleepy Nathaniel in her arms.

"Where's Wanda?" was her first question, and Clint smiled at his wife's concern.

"Vision took her outside. They are trying to keep her busy." he told Laura as she approached him. Automatically, he wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders, and Laura rested her head against Clint's chest.

"I'm worried about her, Clint." Laura confessed in a soft whisper as the three of them watched Wanda. "Do you think meeting Nathaniel brought back bad memories?"

"No, of course not. If anything, meeting Nathaniel brought back loving memories of her brother." Clint reassured Laura before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "C'mon, let's join them. Someone has to make sure they eat properly, don't you think?"

Laura simply smiled in response, her lips finding Clint's cheek for a second. As he led his wife to the backyard, Clint gazed sideways at Natasha, who returned the look. Then, she nodded, and Clint nodded back.

* * *

"So, are you finally enjoying yourself?"

Esther looked up from the bottle of water she had just grabbed, and smiled as Sam approached her. He was holding a plate in his hand and a beer in the other. As she opened the bottle cap, Esther took a sip of the cool liquid while Sam took the spot next to her on the bench.

"I must say this has been quite the experience." Esther told him with a smile, "It's lovely to see you all so relaxed."

"It's lovely, eh?" Sam repeated, trying to mimic her accent, but failing terribly. Esther giggled at his attempt. "Well, then let me tell you it's lovely to see you finally loosen up and have some fun. I was beginning to think something had happened."

"Oh, I... I'm sorry about that." Esther apologized as she looked down at her bottle of water. Gently, she pressed it against her knees. "I really didn't mean to act as if I don't enjoy being with all of you, because I do. I've just never..."

Esther stopped, and Sam looked.

"You've just never what?" he asked, and Esther played with the bottle for a few seconds before taking a deep breath in. Then, she turned to look at the Avenger.

"I've never had that many friends." she confessed, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. "While growing up, I had my cousin to play with. We'd do experiments together, and we even ended up creating our very own laboratory, much for my parents and her parents' amusement, but then she went to school, and I didn't."

"What does your cousin do?" Sam inquired, and Esther found herself smiling as she recalled her cousin.

"She's a genius biochemist, and one of the youngest and most prominent members of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research division." Esther said, her eyes sparkling with both fervor and respect. "We haven't been able to contact one another for a while because of our line of work, but she has been doing an amazing job."

"Really? And does this cousin of yours have a name?" Sam teased her, and Esther looked at him as she laughed. Then, she nodded.

"Yes, her name is Jemma Simmons."

"Sam," a voice called out all of a sudden, and both friends watched as Natasha made her way towards them, "Mind giving us a minute?"

"Yeah, sure," Sam said as he stood up, but he turned to Esther, "You'll tell me more about that cousin of yours later."

"Alright," Esther agreed with a nod, and Sam smiled at her before walking away. A sense of dread rose in Esther's chest as she turned to Natasha. There was something in the other woman's face that made her feel uneasy and something told Esther their conversation would be anything but nice.

"Sorry for cutting your conversation short, but I need to talk to you." Natasha said as she sat down on the bench. For Esther, she did not sound apologetic at all. "It's about the project you've been working on with Doctor Cho."

Esther's breathe got caught in her throat as dread began to settle.

"W-What would you like to know?" the doctor asked, her mouth dry, her throat tight. Natasha casually sat down next to her, crossing both her arms and legs as she turned to Esther. Esther knew that Natasha was studying her, her attentive eyes drinking in all signs of stress and fretfulness without revealing anything.

"I'd like to know why you of all people were invited to participate in a top-secret project such as _Silver Ascension_." Natasha declared without bothering to go around the bush. Esther felt her muscles tense up, her hands and feet growing cold under Natasha's piercing gaze.

"I never really understood why I was chosen out of so many brilliant minds and scientists." Esther confessed as she struggled to keep up with the eye-contact. "I did try refusing at first though, but I eventually realised you cannot really say _no_ to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Yes, I can see that."

The feeling of unsteadiness nearly caused Esther to sway even though she was sitting down.

"What is _Silver Ascension_ about?" Natasha asked without blinking, and Esther bit the interior of her cheek at that question. "I figured asking you straight away would be far more pleasant than forcing the answer out of you."

"The answer is above my clearance." Esther responded after a few seconds, and Natasha raised an eyebrow at that. "If you want to know what project _Silver Ascension_ is about, then I advise you to go ask Doctor Cho or the Director."

"You know, Clint and I actually had a chat about this whole thing." Natasha commented as if she was just observing the weather. "We spoke a little about your presence at the Avengers Facility, and of how you make part of Cho's medical team. Of course none of that would be that suspicious if it weren't for the project you're working on."

There was a pause, and Natasha continued.

"You see, you're a scientist, and medical breakthroughs happen every day, and Doctor Cho most certainly needs all help she can get." suddenly, the assassin sat up straight, causing a shiver to run up Esther's spine. "However, what is not normal is to discover that one of her projects is so incredibly classified that not even I can access to it."

"... I didn't know that." Esther forced herself to say, ignoring the way her lips felt dry, and her voice weak. Natasha shrugged at that.

"I figured you didn't since you're obviously not a hacker." she stated, "But you can imagine how not being able to access it only increased my skepticism. That's why I'm here, talking to you about it."

There was a beat, and Natasha's facial expression became sober and indomitable.

"What is project _Silver Ascension_ about, Doctor Lewis?" she asked, her voice strong and dangerous. Esther felt her nervousness escalate at that question, all symptoms of a panic attack multiplying tenfold under Natasha's vigilant stare. Then, everything went loose. "Is it about Pietro Maximoff?"

The pain in Esther's chest intensified, her racing heart nearly crushing her rib cage. It instantly became harder to breathe, the nausea clawing its way up Esther's throat.

Pietro... Natasha knew about Pietro...

What on earth was she supposed to do?

"Are you having a panic attack, Doctor Lewis?" Natasha inquired, not looking that much worried, and Esther tried to swallow her nervousness. Everything was out in the open, and Esther knew there was no point in hiding it; Natasha Romanoff was known for having many skills, one of which being a master interrogator, "Was it something I said?"

 _You do realize what's at stake here, don't you?_ Fury voice echoed in Esther's mind. _This is a top-secret mission. There will be people at the Facility who will try to find out what you're doing there, but if anything happens you can be sure Doctor Cho will help you._

Esther knew she was a terrible liar, and she certainly could not pretend that she was good at it, not when she was under Natasha's perceptive eyes. However, what was she going to do? It was not her place to say anything whatsoever about project _Silver Ascension_ no matter how much she wished she could do so.

Unconsciously, Esther touched her right hand, feeling the pain of her bruise. She could still feel Pietro's fingers around her hand, crushing it as he dealt with the ghosts of his present. Heavens, would she truly be capable of hiding his secret when Natasha apparently already knew what was going on?

What would Wanda do when she found out?

What would she do when her secret came out?

"Natasha." a voice called out all of sudden, and Esther's widened eyes watched as Steve approached the bench she was occupying. The woman next to her simply put a smile on her face as she turned to face her teammate.

"Yes, Steve?" she asked, her entwined fingers now resting on top of her right knee since her legs were still crossed. For a moment, Captain America's eyes went from Natasha to Esther only to rest on the Black Widow's figure again.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh c'mon Steve, Esther and I were just chatting." Natasha said, a little too sweetly. Esther felt her heart drop to her stomach when Natasha glanced her way. The red smile was still on the older woman's face, and Esther had to force herself to take a deep breath when Natasha finally stood up from the bench. "Do you need anything?"

"Food's ready. Go grab your plate." Steve commanded, and Natasha chuckled at that.

"There's no need to tell me to go away, Steve," she declared as she walked past Captain America. Her eyes abandoned Steve's and met Esther's. The smile on her face grew bigger as the two women looked at one another, "I already have the information I need."

Natasha walked away, and Esther felt her whole body grow numb. Her nose stung as she felt her whole chest burn up with fretfulness. Tears prickled the side of her eyes, and Esther looked down at her knees, grasping her right hand tighter in order to use the pain as a distraction.

"I'm sorry about Romanoff," Steve spoke all of a sudden, but Esther did not look away from her knees. She feared that tears would fall if she did, and she did not want to cause a scene. Still, the smile Natasha had thrown her way burned her mind, taunting her, warning her about what would happen soon. What was she supposed to do? Heavens, what was she supposed to do? "Are you all right?"

"Have you…?" Esther felt her lips move as shaky words abandoned her vocal chords. She still refused to make eye-contact as she felt her heart hammering against her rib cage. "Have you ever had to choose between doing what's right even when everyone is against you and trying to please everyone?"

"I think that doing what's right is seldom easy." Steve promptly responded, arms crossed against his chest. "Sometimes we must choose between what is right and what is easy. However, we also must have courage because sometimes it is better to lose and do the right thing than to win and do the wrong thing."

There was a moment of silence before Steve proceeded.

"Also, I believe that sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." Esther's vision became a blur as Steve spoke, and she sniffed. She had been about to press a hand against her nose when Steve extended a hand in her direction. Hesitantly, Esther turned her head to look at him, her eyes resting on his hand a few seconds later. "Director Fury just called. He wants me to take you back to our headquarters. We'll be back in time for dinner. I've already informed Hawkeye."

The Director… Esther's eyes widened little as her mind processed Steve's words. Nodding, the worried doctor put the bottle of water away before standing up, her mind a mess. Could it be that something had happened to Pietro? Perhaps the Director was already aware of Natasha's doubts, and wanted to talk to her about it. Or maybe they were sending her away in order to protect Pietro's secret.

"Are you sure you're all right?" Steve asked, and it was then that Esther realized he had already walked a few steps before realizing she had not followed him. As she swallowed hard, Esther nodded and made her way to Steve's side. She made the mistake of looking to her side as they walked, and notice that while both Sam and Wanda were watching them, Natasha had already reunited with the Barton's family, and had not even glanced their way.

Instinctively, Esther pressed her right hand against her chest, feeling her heart pounding against her fingers. Something was going to happen, Esther knew it would. With Natasha's discover, and the Director's call, Esther just knew something was going to ensue. All she hoped was that whatever was to happen would only involve her. It was time to give Pietro his solace back and Esther would make it happen even if that meant giving up on project _Silver Ascension_ and going away forever.

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Authoress Note:** So, we finally know who Esther's cousin is! Do you think it was worth the wait? What did you think of the chapter? We are on our way to the story's climax! Hope the ride will be worth it!


	13. Chapter XIII

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing except the unknown characters and the plot.

* * *

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long delay. It took me a while to write this chapter. It marks the beginning of the end. I really hope you enjoy it. There's a lot of Pietro! See you soon!

* * *

 **Chapter XIII**

For the first time in his life he was feeling restless. He continuously crossed and dropped his arms, his fingers occasionally drumming against the desk in front of him. Pietro had no idea when he had started tapping his foot on the floor, but he knew he could not stop it. There were also split of seconds during which his teeth would chew his lower lip before he exhaled in exasperation.

The world had always seemed slow to him, so slow it was rather disturbing. However, he had never felt like that before. Not even when he had been locked away by Strucker.

For the first time in his life, Pietro was actually growing annoyed with himself for being fidgety.

As he took a deep breath in, Pietro puffed his cheeks, and jumped out of the chair. As he ran his fingers through his hair, Pietro made his way towards the windows behind him, and looked outside. His mind was running, his whole body tensing up with anxiety.

They had told him to wait, but they had never told him he would have to wait for what felt like forever.

Before he knew what he was doing, Pietro closed his eyes, and pressed his forehead against the window. The coldness of the glass felt good against his burning skin. It actually reminded him somewhat of Wanda's cool touch. That recognition caused Pietro's heart to convulse, his core shaking as he tried to feel his and Wanda's bond.

When he had first woken up, their bond had been weak, nearly nonexistent, but now it was so, so strong... Unconsciously, Pietro pressed a hand against his chest, feeling his heart beating steadily against his ribs. To be honest, he could not understand how he and Wanda had not felt it before. Perhaps they had been far too lost in their own anguish to believe their bond was still alive, but now... Now their bond was getting more and more intense, and Pietro could not help but draw comfort from it. Soon he would be with his sister again. Soon he would be able to pull Wanda back into his arms, and he would finally be allowed to return to his job both as a protector and as an older brother.

All he had to do was to wait. However, whoever had said that waiting was easy was a liar.

Without opening his eyes, Pietro took a deep breath in through the nose. His muscles relaxed visibly as he thought about his sister and about their upcoming encounter. He had been informed that Wanda did not know about his condition. However, Pietro believed that Wanda could feel their bond getting stronger as days rolled by. Perhaps she simply did not understand why their bond was growing, but she still had to feel it.

She had always felt it more intensively than him.

As he opened his eyes, Pietro straightened up, and stared at the sky. His racing mind started recalling everything that had happened ever since had first woken up. He remembered Helen Cho's warnings and stern gaze, but he could also recall Esther tender voice and gentle touches. Her strange accent also seemed to shift something in him. Pietro had always thought her voice belonged to his dreams whenever he heard her.

Pietro did not know how long he stayed in that spot, staring at the clear heavens above. However, it still felt like forever until the door behind him finally swung open. Immediately, Pietro twirled around on his heels, his hands clenching in expectation.

Nick Fury walked inside.

"You asked to be taken home," the Director began, hands clasped behind his back. Slowly, Pietro turned around on the spot, arms still hanging on his sides, "You are aware that things are different, and they will undoubtedly become even harder once you return to your sister's side."

Pietro nodded.

"However, there is one last thing I want to discuss with you." Fury proceeded as he walked further inside the office, "You went through a very traumatic experience. You know it, I know it, and everyone who has been working on the _Silver Ascension_ project knows it. That is why I will allow you to return to the Avengers Facility under one condition."

Pietro tried to keep his face straight as Fury locked eyes with his.

"I want you to talk to someone about what has happened to you." the Director announced, "There is one among the Avengers who understands what has happened to you, and I am certain he will be of great help to you. Like you, he sacrificed his life so that others could live, and woke up in a world that was not at all alike the one he left behind."

There was a pause, and Pietro silently took in Fury's words. Still, he refused to speak as the Director stood in the middle of the office, the door behind him still open.

"It's time for the secret to come to life." Fury added as he stepped to his side, and looked in direction of the door. "Doctor Lewis, Captain Rogers, if you please..."

Pietro felt his heart jump up to his throat before settling on his chest again. His eyes slipped in direction of the door, and he had to fight back a smirk when Esther's familiar face emerged from the corridor. Her eyes quickly found his, but she broke the eye-contact to gaze at the figure that followed her closely.

Pietro could feel Steve's stupefaction when their eyes met.

"What the...?"

"Captain, I'm sure you remember Quicksilver..." Fury observed casually, as if he was just not introducing them to a dead man. Steve closed his mouth at that. "Doctor Lewis, I'm certain there's no need for pleasantries between us."

Pietro did not look away from Steve's eyes even though all he wanted was to see the expression on Esther's face.

Suddenly, Steve rested a hand on Esther's shoulder, since the doctor was standing right in front of him. Gently, he pushed the doctor to the side, his clear eyes taking in Pietro's presence, jaw tense, posture straight. Pietro also tried to keep his posture, but the muscles on his face refused to acknowledge his effort as his lips curled upwards into a smirk.

"You didn't see that coming?"

Steve's attention immediately turned to the Director.

"What," he began, speaking calmly but with enough strength for anyone to see he was struggling to repress his shock, "is going on here?"

"I think you know."

"I think I don't." Steve immediately responded as Fury trailed off, his eyes turning to Pietro. Then, as if remembering the fourth person inside the room, Steve turned to his side, and looked at Esther. Pietro followed his gaze, and prepared himself to speak. "You knew about this?"

"Doctor Lewis was invited to participate in a particular project named _Silver Ascension_." Fury informed Steve, but the Captain did not look away from the young doctor. "She was also ordered not to say a word about it, especially if she ever befriended one of you."

"Wanda..." Steve whispered before fully turning to the doctor. "You knew about this, and yet you still became friends with her? Even when you knew her brother was alive? Why didn't you say anything?"

"Hey, I think you should be talking to me, not to her." Pietro spoke as he appeared in front of Esther all of a sudden, and Steve looked at him. "She has nothing to do with this. If you have questions, then you should ask me."

There was a pause. Steve released a long breath through the nose before narrowing his eyes.

"You died."

"Yes, I thought I had died too." Pietro agreed before shrugging, "Yet here I am." then, before someone could say a word, he waved a hand towards Steve, "And here you are, too."

"I saw Hawkeye carry you back to the hellcarrier. Everyone saw you collapse. There's no way you could have survived that." Steve paused, and drew a deep breath in. The tension inside the room amplified as the Captain pondered about the words he was going to say next. "Wanda knew you were gone. She felt it."

"Actually," Esther spoke up, surprising everyone. Slowly, she stepped from behind Quicksilver, choosing to stand next to him instead, "Pietro was alive when Agent Barton carried him back to the hellcarrier. You believed him to be dead because his body temporarily went into an extreme state of shock. However, Doctor Cho informed me that none of you checked for a pulse as you all had assumed Pietro had died."

"No one could have survived that attack." Steve pointed out, and Pietro raised both eyebrows at that.

"Who was it that crashed an airplane in the middle of a frozen area, and still managed to wake up after how many years?" he asked, crossing his arms against his chest. Steve looked at him, ready to respond, when Esther cleared her throat.

"Captain Rogers, the truth is that Pietro's increased metabolism and improved thermal homeostasis resulted in rapid cell regeneration and in absorption of the majority of the impact force and kinetic energy from the bullets." Esther explained. "Also, Doctor Cho used the Cradle to help Pietro. She wanted to give him a boost, so to speak."

"How did you manage to keep this a secret?" Steve asked all of a sudden, eyes locked with Esther's.

"I think the Director already told you she was ordered not to say anything." Pietro spoke up, but Steve simply narrowed his eyes at that. Esther looked down, unable to meet the Captain's intense gaze, her eyes resting on her twiddling fingers. The bruise on her hand caught her attention, and she took a deep breath.

"That was the hardest thing I ever had to do in my entire life." Esther confessed, gradually raising her gaze again. "When I first arrived at the Avengers Facility, Sam told me that Wanda was in pain. He warned me to never mention Pietro unless Wanda did it first."

There was a pause.

"Eventually Wanda started talking about her brother, and believe me when I say all I wanted was to tell her the truth." Esther proceeded before focusing her attention on Director Fury, "But I was afraid I'd be pulled away from the _Silver Ascension_ project, and I did not want that to happen. Not before I made sure Pietro was ready to return to his sister's side. However, today... Black Widow, she... She knows."

"I knew she would find out the truth, though it surprises me it has taken her this long to figure things out." Fury commented, without looking concerned about the situation. "Captain Rogers, I chose you out of all the Avengers to come here today, because I know you'll do the right thing. I know you're the only one who understands Quicksilver's position."

"So, I was told about all this because you had no one else to go to." Steve summarized the situation, and Fury crossed his arms against his chest.

"No, I told you about this because you are a man of honor." the Director corrected him, "And because I know you will help Quicksilver despite the fact you're angry at me for keeping you out of this."

"Wanda will go livid when she figures this out." Steve pointed out, "The only reason why she hasn't done so until this moment is because she thinks her brother is dead. A couple of hours ago, she was telling us all about how she truly believed Pietro was alive regardless of what everyone else said. You let her believe she was insane when, in fact, she was right all along."

"It was never my goal to make Wanda believe she was insane," Fury corrected him, "But we couldn't simply release Quicksilver from the hospital. We had to make sure he was ready to face reality. We had to be certain he was stable enough to face all of you and the world."

"Would you mind not talking about me as if I'm not here?" Pietro asked, crossing his arms against his chest. After a few seconds, both Steve and Fury broke their eye-contact in order to gaze at Quicksilver. Esther was silently observing the light haired man as well. "I think we've wasted enough time as it is. Captain, I'm sure everyone else will have questions too. So, why don't we gather the whole team, and get over this?"

There was a pause.

"Besides, I want to see Wanda."

"Yes, I know you do." Fury agreed with a short nod, "I'm sure Captain Rogers and Doctor Lewis will be pleased to drive you back to the Barton's house."

"You're not coming?" Steve asked, eyebrow raised in suspicion, and Fury shook his head.

"I have a couple of meetings I need to attend to, or so has Agent Hill told me." he explained, "Unfortunately, I won't be there to see it, but I'm sure everything will go smoothly after everyone recovers from the shock."

This time, no one said a thing. As he straightened his back, Fury clasped his hands behind his back. His eyes went from Steve to Esther before they rested on Pietro. For a moment, he simply studied Quicksilver before his focus returned to Esther.

"Doctor Lewis, I'm sure you'll be happy to know you are allowed to return to the _Silver Ascension_ project." he commented, "Doctor Cho will contact you soon enough."

"Thank you..." Esther breathed out, the corner of her lips curling upwards into a shy smile. Fury simply nodded at that before gazing at Pietro. With another nod, he finally turned to his side, and left the office. The silence that followed his departure was impossible to ignore.

"So," Pietro spoke all of a sudden, and both Steve and Esther turned to him. A smirk graced his features as he looked at his two friends, "Shall we go surprise everyone?"

"They definitely won't be seeing this coming." Steve pointed out before he could stop himself, and Pietro's smirk got even wider at that. Then, the Captain let out a sigh, "Still, circumstances aside, I must say it's really good seeing you again."

"Missed me, did you?" Pietro asked, and Steve crossed his arms against his chest.

"I hope Wanda's reaction won't be as explosive as I'm imagining it will be," he commented, deliberately ignoring Pietro's question. "I hope you'll be ready for it."

"Wanda's my sister, Cap, I will deal with her." Pietro reassured him, but Steve simply looked at him before shaking his head.

"It's not you I'm worried about." as if to prove his point, Steve looked at Esther, who blinked at the unexpected attention. Pietro also followed the Captain's gaze, and silently studied the doctor's expression before surprising her by wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"I've got her back, Captain, don't worry." he said, and Steve turned to him.

"Perhaps it's best if we go," Esther told the two men, "There's no point in staying here, wondering how it will go. Besides, someone I know has been desperate to see his sister again."

"You know I could just run off…" Pietro suddenly said, and Steve stared sternly at him.

"You could, but you won't. We need to do this properly." the Captain told him. "I brought Esther on my motorcycle. You can run next to us, but you cannot show up there without us. Wanda's power will most likely tell her you're there. We better be there, to calm things down."

"I'll tell you what; you can ride the motorcycle, and I'll give you a ten minutes start." Pietro informed him before pressing Esther closer to him, ignoring the look he received from the doctor. "And I'll take my doctor with me."

"Pietro..."

"Quicksilver..." Steve began in a warning tone, but Pietro did not look at all fazed by the somber look on the Captain's face. Instead, he simply picked Esther, bridal style, so quickly that the doctor could not help but gasp at his actions. Then, Pietro looked at Esther.

"See you there." with that said, Pietro stormed off. Steve, finding himself all alone in the office, let out a sigh before shaking his head.

* * *

"Oh…my…" Esther wheezed as Pietro abruptly stopped running, and she felt her hair fall upon her shoulders in wild curls. Her heart was racing against her rib cage, her face flushed by the exhilaration. As she tried to fill her lungs with oxygen, Esther turned her head to look at Pietro. "That was… Wow…"

"Left you speechless, eh? That's a first." Pietro teased her before putting her down. Then, his hand found the top of Esther's head. "Perhaps I was a little too fast. Wanda's used to my speed. I should've thought of you before I decided to tease the Captain."

"Oh, so that's what it was." Esther commented, patting Pietro's hand away. Unconsciously, she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to tame it as best as she could. That was when the world decided to spin underneath her feet, causing Esther to spread her arms to the sides as a reflex. "Wow…"

"You okay?" Pietro asked, as he rested both hands on her shoulders. Esther could not help but laugh at his question, although she did press a hand to the side of her head.

"Lovely. The world just decided to go for a spin for a moment." she told him, a smile on her lips. "Perhaps I'm not really cut off for this sort of thing."

"Sorry…"

"No, it's all right." Esther reassured him, opening her eyes as she spoke, "I'm… Actually, I was just wondering why you decided to stop."

"Oh, I just wanted to ask you one thing." Pietro said, and Esther lowered her hand. "I need you to be honest with me. Do you think I'm ready?"

Esther felt her heart skip a beat. Pietro was slowly crossing his arms against his chest, the expression on his face serious yet poignant. For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other before Esther let out a breath through her parted lips.

"I think you'll need to be strong." she told him, the fingers of her right hand wrapping around her left elbow. "It won't be easy. I'm sure Doctor Cho told you so. You will have to deal with nightmares, and going back to the Avengers team…everything will be really difficult, but I am certain you will succeed."

"Doctor Cho told me I might turn against my sister. Do you think there's a risk of that happening?" Pietro inquired, and Esther finally understood what was happening. She could see Pietro was anxious about seeing Wanda. However, she was finally noticing little things; the way he was unconsciously tapping his right foot on the ground, how he kept crossing and uncrossing his arms… Pietro was worried about what his return would mean not only for the team and for Wanda, but for him as well.

Without thinking about her actions, Esther released her left elbow and stepped closer to him. Pietro, who had dropped his gaze, raised his eyes, causing the doctor to smile faintly at him. Slowly, Esther raised a hand, and pressed it against his cheek. His stubble played with her skin, his clear eyes searching for an answer in hers.

"You'd never hurt your sister, Pietro, you know that." Esther told him. "However, involuntarily you might. That's why it won't be easy. You know you'll never be the same Pietro you were three months ago, but you'll most certainly be a better version of who you were. Yes, there will be tough times, but Wanda will help you. All of them will; I'm sure of it."

Pietro surprised her by suddenly grasping her hand. Esther watched as he pulled her fingers from his cheek, his eyes settling on the back of her hand. Her bruise was a dark purple, almost black color. It was easier to see the shape of his hand, the mark of his fingers going around her fingers towards the palm of her hand. Esther tried to smile as he continued to expect the bruise.

"I know it looks appalling, but soon enough it will be gone." she reassured him as Pietro ran his thumb over her bruise. Slowly, he raised his eyes.

"I never apologized, did I?"

"There's no need. It's not like you did it on purpose." Esther tried to loosen the atmosphere as she pulled her hand away from his. "Anyway, I thought you were trying to win a race?"

"Oh, c'mon, the Cap is probably running towards his bike right now." Pietro smirked, "I've got to give him a chase, don't you think? It's no fun if I just let myself win."

"Humble much?"

"Not really. I have no idea what modesty is." Esther rolled her eyes at his teasing tone. That was when Pietro's smirk faded away, and Esther noticed the change in the air. "Will you stay with me? When we get there, I mean."

Esther found herself smiling despondently at that question. Yes, she would most certainly do her best to be by his side once they got to the Barton's house. However, Esther knew that although everyone would be ecstatic with his revelation, she was also aware of what that would mean to her. She would stay by his side until she had to leave.

Yes, because Esther knew she would have to leave because Wanda would never forgive her for her betrayal. Still, Esther refused to let Pietro know of her fears and uncertainties. Instead, Esther took a deep breath in, and found herself nodding.

"I will stay with you. At least, until we make sure they won't try to kill you for your unexpected comeback."

"Oh, they certainly won't be seeing me coming." Pietro laughed lightly, and Esther found herself enjoying his laugh. It was warm and fun just like she had always expected it to be. That was when Pietro extended a hand towards her, causing Esther to look down at it.

"Shall we go, then?" he asked, "I can hear the Captain's bike from afar."

Esther looked behind Pietro at his comment, and blinked when she spotted Steve at the distance. The sound of his motorcycle was gradually cutting through the silence. Then, she turned to Pietro, whose hand was still in the air, between them.

"We should wait for him." Esther told him as she grasped his hand, "I have no idea which way we came from."

"Why do you think I decided to stop here?" Pietro asked her before smirking, "But let's keep that a secret between us."

Esther smiled, Steve's motorcycle getting closer and closer. Without saying anything else, Pietro pulled her to him before picking the doctor up in bridal-style once more. Automatically, Esther wrapped her arms around his neck, and tried to ignore the way Pietro's scent seemed to hover around her.

Soon, she would step away from his arms, and forbid herself from looking over her shoulder. Soon, she would take Pietro back to his solace, and her job would be finished. Then, she would walk away, and never return.

 **To Be Continued…**


	14. Chapter XIV

**Disclaimer:** _Depths of Silence_ owns nothing except the unknown characters and the plot.

* * *

Alright so this was quite the difficult chapter to write about. I'm not really sure you are going to like it, but it's finally here so I'll keep my fingers crossed. Also, I want to thank _Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967_ , _MissSweetApple28_ , _LovelyFandomLover_ , _sydney33331_ , _IFoundHopeInYourHateForMe_ , _Cimorene-Uchiha_ , _CosmicLove13_ and _abstract0118_ for finding the time to let me know what you think of Silver Ascension.

I hope you enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter XIV**

There was a sense of uneasiness in the air. Either that or the nervousness and tension were just getting to everyone. Swallowing dry, Esther looked to the man next to her, and closed her hands into loosened fists. Pietro was simply standing there, in the middle of the road, his eyes locked with the front door of the Barton's house. Steve was on his other side, silently taking in Pietro's facial expression.

They had been standing there for nearly five minutes.

Looking down, Esther noticed Pietro's clenched hands. Without thinking, she reached out for his right hand, and entwined their fingers together. Her touch most likely woke something in him because Pietro suddenly blinked, and turned to look at her.

"Are you ready?" Esther asked, trying to offer him a supportive smile. Deep inside, she felt beyond nervous. They were there. Pietro was finally going to see his sister again, and everything would be alright. Her mission would be complete and Pietro would be free.

"I feel like something in my chest is about to burst," Pietro commented after a few seconds, his eyes turning to the house once more. Instinctively, he grasped the front of his shirt with his free hand. "I feel like there's something tugging at my heart."

"Perhaps it's the bond you share with your sister." Steve commented all of a sudden, and Pietro turned to him. When their eyes met, the Captain proceeded, "Wanda speaks of your bond a lot. I wouldn't be surprise that feeling is a result of your connection working up."

"Yes, because..." Esther paused as Quicksilver turned to her, and she smiled more confidently at him, "Pietro, your sister is on the other side of this house."

Something changed in the air at those words. Pietro took a deep breath in, and Esther felt him squeeze her hand for a moment before letting go. Esther felt something stir in her chest, but decided to ignore it as her breath got stuck in her throat.

Pietro had never looked as majestic as he did on that moment.

"Shall we go?" Steve asked, but Pietro did not even hear him. Instead, he gave on step forward, thankfully on a pace both Esther and Steve could easily follow. Still, despite his stance and proper posture, Esther could feel tension and anxiety rolling out of his muscles in waves.

That was it.

That was the moment when everything would change.

Unconsciously, Esther stopped walking. Pietro entered inside the house, quickly followed by Steve, but none of the two men noticed her hesitation. Biting on her lower lip, Esther took a deep breath, and followed suit. Thankfully, no one was inside the house, and Steve silently led Pietro towards the back door of the house.

It was then that the Captain stopped, and turned to face Pietro.

"You know what's about to happen." he said, a serious expression on his face. His whole body screamed tension, and Esther could also feel it in her bones. If her whole body was shaking in anticipation, then how was Pietro feeling?

"I know what's about to happen." Pietro repeated with a short nod, and Steve clenched his jaw for a moment before turning to the door. However, before he could even think about opening it, the door swung open with so much power that Steve had to jump backwards to avoid being hit.

A gust of wind screamed inside the house, and Esther felt goosebumps cover her skin as her hair was blown away from her face.

Time stopped when she saw Wanda.

Something cracked.

Wanda's widened eyes were locked with Pietro's blue ones. Her power still echoed throughout the house, her arms dropped to her sides as she stared at the figure before her. Behind her, appeared other faces, all of them ignored as the twins stared at one another.

Something stirred in the air.

No one breathed.

"You didn't see that coming?" Pietro decided to ask, breaking the silence like a piercing dagger. Slowly, Wanda's lips parted, and a gasp escaped from her chest. Her hand shook as she raised it in the air, and she cautiously, rather uncertainly even, gave the first step forward.

Before she could give the second step, however, Pietro was already in front of her, gathering her in his arms.

"Pietro..." Wanda whispered against his chest, her quivering hands grasping the back of his shirt. "Pietro... Pietro..."

"I'm here..." Pietro whispered to her ear, and suddenly Wanda's power exploded once again, causing the whole furniture to rattle. Everyone protected their faces from the blast, all except for Pietro who continued to hold his sister. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm sorry..."

The darkness faded away.

"Pietro…" Wanda mumbled, her voice muffled by her twin's chest. A new wave of power bloomed around them, but this time it came out softer and perhaps a little bit more tenderly. "Pietro… How…?"

The silence amplified as Pietro and Wanda clung to each other as if their lives depended on it.

Their hearts found one another, the rhythm of their heartbeats echoing as aftershocks, visible only by Wanda's power as it sang around the room.

Then, a child began to babble.

Suddenly, reality hit hard, and everyone began to breathe. Wanda slowly released Pietro's shirt, and moved backwards so that she could look at him in the eye. Everyone noticed the tears that were rolling down her bloodshot eyes, but no one dared to move.

"Pietro…" Wanda breathed out, her lips quivering as she spoke. Her hands were still on Pietro's arms, a clear indication that she had no interest in letting him go. "I felt… I just knew… How…?"

"Well, Captain did tell us to walk it off if we died…" Pietro began with a nonchalant attitude, but there was a smile on his lips. He wiped his sister's tears affectionately with a thumb, and his eyes lit up with she smiled back at him. "I had a second chance…"

"All this time… When I thought I was imagining things, when I thought it was all a dream…" Wanda rested a hand on top of Pietro's, entwining their fingers together. "You were here… You are here…"

"And I'm not going anywhere." Pietro reassured her, squeezing her hand as he spoke. That was when a child's gibber broke the silence once again, causing Pietro to finally tear his eyes away from his sister's face.

His eyes fell upon Laura and Nathaniel Barton before he recognized the male figure beside them. Clint took the opportunity to walk past his wife, his eyes now locked with Pietro.

"What the…?"

"You didn't see that coming?" Pietro asked yet again. Clint surprised him by suddenly walking forward, and pulling the younger man into a hug. Laura also sprang into action, and walked towards Pietro, Nathaniel still babbling in her arms.

"Pietro?" she called out, a little uncertain. Clint released Pietro, whose eyes were already focused on the petite woman and her child. Smiling, Laura approached Pietro, and kissed him on the cheek. "Welcome back…"

Pietro felt his eyes burn at the woman's sincerity.

"And this is Nathaniel Pietro Barton." Laura continued, motioning for the baby in her arms. "I never thought I'd have the opportunity to present him to you."

A tear rolled down Pietro's cheek as the baby raised his chubby arms in his direction. Without thinking about his actions, Pietro picked Nathaniel up, and felt his little hands on his face. Wanda appeared next to him, her hands wrapping around Pietro's left upper arm.

"Can anyone just explain what's going on in here?" James Rhodes spoke all of a sudden, completely ruining the mood. Natasha looked sideways at him before crossing her arms against her chest.

"It seems to me someone got a second chance…" the Black Widow commented, eyes resting on both Pietro and Wanda. A small smirk appeared on her face, but it disappeared when her eyes fell on both Steve and Esther, who were on the opposite side of the room.

"I have no idea what's going on, but it's good to have you back!" Sam said, making his way towards Pietro, and resting a hand on his shoulder. "You seriously need to tell us what on earth happened, because… Well, I hate to state the obvious, but we all know what happened to you."

"It's a long story." Pietro responded, little Nathaniel cooing as he studied Quicksilver's face, "But I'm here because some people just didn't give up… And I owe them my life."

"Do you care to elaborate on that?" Natasha asked all of a sudden, and Esther felt her heart skip a beat when the older woman looked her way. Before she could even think about forcing herself to inhale, Laura reached out for Nathaniel.

"I believe we should give Wanda and Pietro some time alone." she observed, a motherly smile on her face. "Let's just leave them here for a while. They'll join us whenever they feel ready."

"That's a good idea." Steve agreed almost instantly, and he shifted closer to Esther. The doctor glanced at him for a moment, took in the somber expression on his face before looking away. "Let's go."

Resting a hand on Esther's shoulder blade, Steve led her towards the backdoor, following the rest of the group. As they walked past the twins, Esther dared to look over her shoulder. The twins were completely focused on one another.

Esther decided not to look over her shoulder again after that.

* * *

"Pietro…" Wanda breathed out as they sat on the sofa, their hands entwined. "Pietro…"

"I'm sorry it took me so long to come back." Pietro apologized, squeezing Wanda's hand. A shaky laugh escaped from Wanda's lips before tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"I thought I'd never see you again." Wanda told him before pressing her free hand against her chest. "When you died, I… I felt like I had died too. I would feel this emptiness… It was as if my heart had been ripped away from my chest."

Wanda paused, took a deep breath in, and proceeded.

"Everything was just a big mess. I couldn't even concentrate during training, but then Vision began talking to me, and I…" there was a short pause, "As time went by, I began to feel your presence again. I mean, I started to think about you without feeling sad, and then… Soon after, I just began to feel something tugging at my heart. It was almost as if you were alive…"

"I'm sorry." Pietro began as Wanda trailed off, "I wanted to come back sooner, but I couldn't. They wouldn't let me, and I kind of understand why now."

"You keep saying _they_. Who are you referring to?" Wanda asked, tilting her head slightly to the side in confusion. "What happened to you? Where were you all this time? Why didn't anyone just tell me you were alive?"

"I think they wanted to make sure I was okay, before telling everyone that I was alive." Pietro said, "I can't really explain it the same way they did, but my powers saved me, Wanda. That's the reason why I didn't die in Sokovia."

"Your powers…" Wanda trailed off as she studied Pietro's face, from his hair to the deep hue of his eyes. She then looked down at their joined hands before closing her eyes. "I remember those days when we'd suffer from all of those experiments… This is the first time I'm truly thankful for our choices."

"I'm not 100% cured, though." Pietro continued, and Wanda opened her eyes. "But I don't really care. All I wanted was to come back to your side. I was told about your growth as an Avenger, but it wasn't enough. I needed to be by your side, especially since I knew you thought I was dead."

"Who helped you?" Wanda asked, trying to find the answer in Pietro's eyes. Her twin smiled softly at that.

"Doctor Helen Cho helped me. Oh, Director Fury knew about it too." he told her, "Doctor Cho didn't want to release me yet, but then Esther talked to her, and she accepted to let me go."

"Esther?" Wanda repeated, and Pietro nodded. "Wait. Esther knew you were alive?"

"She's my physician actually." Pietro corrected her, and Wanda looked down at those words. The mix of astonishment and shock disappeared from her face and was replaced by resentment and denial.

"You… You're telling me that Esther knew you were alive and never… She didn't think of telling me?" Wanda began to hyperventilate, her eyes growing wider while her whole body became tense. "She kept this whole thing a secret from me?"

"Wanda…"

"I told her… I–I told her things about you, about us, and she never…" tears began to blur Wanda's vision as she refused to meet Pietro's gaze. She could feel her power flooding through her veins, burning her body as she struggled to stay in control. "How could she never say anything?"

"Wanda, calm down." Pietro instructed her, but he was completely ignored. Wanda's power began to escape from her hands, its scarlet shadow licking her skin as she closed her eyes tightly shut.

"How could she?" Wanda asked, through gritted teeth. A vase with sunflowers suddenly exploded from behind her close followed by a couple of glasses that had been forgotten on top of the table. "How could she?"

A window shattered at Wanda's last question. The backdoor swung open on the same instant Pietro pulled Wanda into a tight hug. Pietro only had time to see both Steve and Esther walk inside before Wanda also spotted the two adults.

"Get her out of here!" Pietro nearly yelled as he felt his sister tense up under his arms. He could feel Wanda's power clawing its way out of his sister's body, and he also knew there was nothing he could do to stop it from exploding, "Now!"

"Let's go!" Steve shouted as he dragged Esther out of the house. As their footsteps faded away, Pietro focused his attention on his sister again.

"Wanda, you have to calm down!" he told his sister, but once again he was completely ignored.

"She knew you were alive! She knew!" Wanda yelled, and another window shattered as her power detonated. The whole house shook as Wanda wailed, and Pietro closed his eyes against her head. "She lied to me! She lied to me!"

This time, Pietro decided not to say anything. Instead, he continued to hold his sister against him, hearing her cry as she held onto him with all of her strength. He did not see Vision standing by the backdoor nor did he hear the sound of a motorcycle roaring outside.

When he finally realized what had happened, it was already too late.

 **To Be Continued…**


	15. Chapter XV

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing aside from the plot and unknown characters.

* * *

Hello everyone! I am (finally!) back with a new chapter! I saw Captain America: Civil War yesterday, and I've got to say this; it's absolutely brilliant! It has everything one would expect to find in a Marvel film! I have so many new ideas! I am actually thinking about a sequel for this story! What do you guys think of that? I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter XV**

"So, this was an interesting turn of events." Natasha commented as she walked to Steve's side, leaning against the bar counter as she spoke. The Captain looked up from his beer at the observation, his clear blue eyes finding Natasha's in a matter of seconds.

Without saying anything, Steve glanced over his shoulder. Wanda and Pietro were sitting on the sofa, Wanda's head resting against her twin's shoulder. Pietro was speaking in hushed tones while both Vision and James were on the opposite side of the lounge, standing by the stairs, observing the Maximoff siblings. Sam had decided to go to the Avengers Hospital soon after their arrival at the Avengers Headquarters.

For a moment, Steve simply watched the way Wanda held on to Pietro's arm, her eyes locked with her brother's face. She was quite calm on that moment; Pietro had managed to help her control her powers after the last explosion. However, for Esther's safety, the young doctor had been taken to the Avengers' Hospital and told to stay there until further instruction.

Director Fury and Helen Cho had both been informed about everything that had happened. Up until that moment the Director had not addressed to them while Helen had texted them, saying she would show up as soon as possible. Steve inwardly hoped Sam was with Esther.

"One you already knew would happen." Steve eventually said, his eyes slipping towards Natasha, who shrugged one shoulder.

"I didn't see this coming." she confessed, hand on her hip. She also studied her surroundings for a moment before looking at the Captain. "I knew something was going on, and when I talked to Clint and he mentioned Quicksilver... Well, I figured it had to do with him I just didn't know it involved bringing someone back from the dead."

Steve heaved a sigh.

"How was it?" Natasha asked all of a sudden, "When you saw him?"

"I was shocked above everything else." the Captain told her before taking a sip of his cold drink, his free hand resting on the counter. "I never thought we'd see him again. And Esther... I have no idea how she managed to keep this whole thing a secret. To hide something this big from us, from Wanda, is just...unfathomable."

"Yet here he is." Natasha pointed out, and Steve nodded.

"And yet here he is..." he repeated, his voice lowering a notch. For a moment, he just studied his drink as he played with the bottle before taking a deep breath. "I guess our team just got bigger."

"You could say that again." Natasha said, eyes rested on the Maximoff twins. "Did the Director tell you anything when you met him? Did he tell you what we were supposed to with him?"

"I'm supposed to help him somehow." Steve eventually answered, eyes slipping towards the silver haired boy. "Since we both went under... Well, I think both Fury and Cho are hoping I'll be able to help Quicksilver not to snap during action...or something along those lines."

"Hmm, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes." Natasha declared as she reached over the counter, and grabbed a beer. Without even blinking, she twisted the tap, and took a long swing. Steve's shoulders dropped significantly at her words.

"I think the worst part will be to convince Wanda that it's ok to let her brother move around. She hasn't released Quicksilver ever since she first saw him back at Hawkeye's house." the Captain pointed out, and Natasha chuckled at that.

"Her brother has just returned from the grave." she commented, but the playfulness in her voice disappeared as she took another sip. "You can't blame her for wanting to make sure he's here and that he's real."

Steve watched Natasha's facial expression for a moment. The twinkle in her eyes faded as she got lost in her memories. In a way, Steve could see himself in that expression, and that was why he wasted no time in reaching out for Natasha's arm.

"Hey," he whispered, and Natasha blinked back to life at his voice, "It's alright. Everything will be alright, and we'll do everything we can to bring the team back together. I mean, after all this, do we really have reason to believe that's not possible?"

"You're impossible." Natasha eventually said, the twinkle returning to her eyes, and Steve smiled at that. "I guess that means you'll be watching over him for a while?"

Steve glanced sideways at Pietro before nodding.

"You know me; I never refuse a challenge."

"So, Cap, what are we going to do now?" James asked as he and Vision approached the duo, both looking quite preoccupied. James actually glanced at both Wanda and Pietro as he reached Steve's side. "I mean, with this new development and all..."

"Well, you know how they say; life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are gonna get." Natasha commented, and Steve raised an eyebrow at that.

"Who said that?"

"Don't worry, Cap, we'll introduce you to Forrest Gump one of these days." James reassured him with a laugh while Natasha smirked. Steve rolled his eyes at his friends' antics.

"I thought we were having a serious conversation."

"Forrest Gump is quite the serious conversation. It's a very good movie." James stated as he pointed a finger at Steve. Natasha crossed her arms against her chest.

"You know, we could do a movie night one of these days." she declared, and Steve pretended to cough.

"I believe the right topic for the moment would be the Avengers team." he said finally standing up from his stool, towering over everyone around him. "I will take full responsibility in training Quicksilver."

"I do believe that would be the most adequate action." Vision commented all of a sudden. "However; what are you going to do about Wanda?"

"Good luck to the one who dares going in there and tell Wanda to let her brother go." Natasha joked as she took another sip of her beer, and Steve shook his head at that. James actually looked horrified while Vision simply glanced at the twins.

"Always up for the challenge..." Steve told his friends as he turned around, leaving his beer on top of the counter. With his back straight, Steve made his way towards the Maximoff twins, vaguely aware that Natasha and James were talking while Vision observed. "Hey..."

"Hey Cap!" Pietro greeted with a smile while Wanda simply looked up with her big, round eyes sparkling with a life that everyone had once believed to be lost.

"So, I need to talk to you." Steve began, his eyes settling on Pietro's face, "About what we're supposed to do now. I'm willing to give you the night off if you promise me you'll meet me tomorrow first thing in the morning."

"We can talk now."

"No. You have some catching up to do, and something tells me you're going to need your rest." Steve corrected Pietro almost immediately. Slowly, he crossed his arms against his chest, his eyes slipping in Wanda's direction. "That includes you too."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep properly tonight." Wanda confessed, her hand tightening around Pietro's arm. She then focused her attention on her brother. "I'm afraid you might just disappear on me again."

"As if I'd do that!" Pietro scoffed, but he gently rested a hand on top of his sister's. "Wanda, I'm not going anywhere. I'm not an illusion either. I'm sure you can feel it too! Besides, would the Cap be talking to me if he thought I wasn't real?"

"I know you're real. It's just..." Wanda paused for a moment, her teeth chewing on her lower lip. "Last time I let you go, you... You didn't come back to me."

"Of course I did! Okay, okay, so maybe it wasn't exactly how I had pictured it to be, and it did take me a while to come back, but I'm here!" Pietro reassured her with a white smile. Steve inwardly noticed the way they danced around the topic of Pietro's death, and mentally sighed. That was going to be harder than he thought. "I'm here and I'm never letting you go."

"I believe you'd do well to take a rest." Steve advised the twins, still in the same authoritative stance. "Tomorrow the hard work will begin. I hope you know we won't go easy on you."

"I wasn't expecting you to be." Pietro told him with a short nod, "Trust me, Cap, I can deal with anything you throw at me."

"That's for us to decide."

"Perhaps we should go rest." Wanda spoke after a few seconds, her eyes going from Steve to Pietro. Her hand was still wrapped around Pietro's arm. "I could show you your room."

"Sure!" Pietro exclaimed, a white smile gracing his features. He stood up, and Wanda mimicked his actions. Her hand slipped down his arm until their fingers entwined naturally. Steve silently took in the way Wanda stuck to her brother's side but said nothing. His thoughts and concerns would stay his own for the time being.

With one last smirk, Pietro let Wanda led him out of the room. It was only when their footsteps faded away that Steve let his shoulders drop, a sigh escaping from his lips as he shook his head.

"That was exhausting..." he mumbled, and he sensed Natasha approaching him from behind.

"If you think that was exhausting," she began, crossing her arms against her chest, "Prepare yourself for tomorrow. Things are going to change a lot around her."

Steve decided to remain silent.

On the meantime, Sam was watching as Esther gathered her reports in a stack before placing them inside a drawer. Everything was silent in the Hospital so it was easy to hear as people walked through the hallway up and down. Hushed tones occasionally echoed through the walls, but Sam paid little attention to them. His focus was on the young doctor in front of him, frenetically putting a lock of hair behind her ear while chewing on her lower lip.

After a few seconds observing Esther, Sam straightened up from the wall he had been leaning on. He let his crossed arms fall to his sides, and slowly made his way towards the doctor. Esther actually jumped in surprise when he rested his hands on her shoulders, stopping her.

"Yes?" she asked, sounding as if she had just run a marathon, and Sam locked eyes with her. He took in the way Esther swallowed dry, her lower lip bruised from her constant chewing.

"You did nothing wrong." Sam told her in a strong voice, and Esther's eyes widened a little at it. "Did you hear me? You did nothing wrong."

"I lied to you." Esther breathed out, dropping her eyes to look to the side. "I lied to everyone. You... You cannot t tell me I did nothing wrong, when I... Wanda, she..."

"Wanda will get over it." Sam told her, without releasing her shoulders. "She was just shocked. Hell, we all were. But trust me when I say she will get over this. She won't hold a grudge against you."

"You didn't see what I saw." Esther began, shaking her head. She could feel her nose being to burn, her chest heaving as she struggled not to cry. "Everything that happened at Agent Barton's house... Wanda's power getting out of control, Pietro trying to calm her down... It was all because of me..."

"I do believe that's called physician–patient privilege." Sam told her before taking a deep breath. "Look, I get it why you didn't say anything. Do I agree with it? No, but I understand you were put in a pretty bad position. You had to help Quicksilver without telling us. Heck, I don't even know how you managed to keep Wanda from finding out!"

"Still, I should've said something, but Pietro..." Esther licked her lips, and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her roaring heart down, but her whole body was still shaking. "When I first saw him, I thought he was a miracle. He's still a miracle. Returning to Wanda's side was Pietro's ambition. It was her who helped him, and I had to help him, but... Every time Wanda told me something about her and Pietro, I... I knew I was betraying her by not saying anything."

Esther paused, and raised her eyes to look at Sam.

"I betrayed all of you."

"Esther…"

"Now my job is complete, and I will be going home." the doctor continued, raising her hands, and placing them on top of Sam's. "I was brought here because I was supposed to give Wanda her solace back and now…"

Esther felt her eyes tearing up, and she looked away. Unconsciously, she squeezed Sam's hands. Biting on her lower lip for a moment, she took a shaky breath in before forcing herself to look at the Avenger once more.

"Look after him for me, please. Pietro… He's a force of nature, but he's not 100% healed yet. He feels like he is, and he'll tell you nothing's wrong, but there's still a long path ahead for him to tread." Esther told him, but Sam simply continued looking at her. "I'm sure Doctor Cho has something planned for Pietro, but I haven't been informed of what exactly. I guess it won't matter anymore."

"So, this is it?" Sam asked as he felt Esther release his hands. The doctor simply returned to her desk, carefully checking the files she had put inside the drawer before closing it. "You're giving up just like that? I thought this project meant the world to you."

"It wasn't me who decided to pull me out of the project once Pietro returned to Wanda's side." Esther tried to protest, and Sam rolled his eyes before shaking his head.

"I always thought you'd kick and scream. I actually thought you'd put up a fight." he confessed as Esther turned her head to look at him. "You always spoke of this project as if it was a dream come true. I guess I was wrong."

"This is a dream come true."

"It sure doesn't look like it from where I'm standing." Sam immediately retorted, and Esther looked down. "I get it that you're scared of Wanda. She certainly has the power to make anyone pee in their pants, but I thought Quicksilver actually meant something to you. I mean, you kept him a secret because you wanted to protect him – protect Wanda – in case things went south. Well, thankfully things worked out just fine, but you're running away because you're scared of a couple of bumps."

"You know what Wanda can do." Esther began, hands resting on her desk, "And you know I can't do anything to stop her."

"True, but it's not like you're alone in this." Sam informed her, shrugging his shoulders. "I've got your back. Heck, I'm sure even the Captain has got your back. So, don't run away. That won't fix anything. In fact, it will probably make everything worse."

"But I…"

"Esther," Sam interrupted her, and he cautiously shifted closer to the doctor. Slowly, Esther straightened up, but uncertainty was still written all over her face. "You've said it yourself; Quicksilver still has a long path ahead of him until he's all better. Why on earth would you turn your back on him now? He's definitely going to need all the help he can get, especially if he's like a time bomb waiting to explode, and I most certainly don't have the word _doc_ written on my forehead."

"But Wanda…"

"One challenge at the time," Sam interjected once again, raising a hand in the air. "Besides, I haven't exactly heard from Doctor Cho, so as far as I know, you're still Quicksilver's doctor. So, what do you say? Do you want to face the whole thing head on, or do you want to hide and pretend this never happened?"

Esther closed her eyes. One lonely tear managed to escape from her closed eyelids, and it silently rolled down her cheek. Her heart was howling at her ears, and Esther closed her hands into loosened fists as she recalled the first time she had seen Pietro, lying on the bed, ignorant of his surroundings. She had made a promise then. She had made a promise before she even saw him.

She had been chosen to find a way to bring Wanda's solace back. Her job was not finished no matter what some people could say. Yes, she was scared. In fact, Esther was downright terrified about facing Wanda again – about facing all the Avengers again – but she had promised.

 _Thank you_ , Pietro's voice whispered in her ears. _You know…for keeping your promise._

More tears threatened to spill as Esther opened her eyes. Pressing a hand to her nose, she tried to breathe properly, but her fingers shook as she thought about the Maximoff twins. Sam was right, and she knew it. The problem was that she could not stop shaking. Not when her mind kept recalling what had happened at Clint's house over and over again.

"Hey," Sam called out in a soft voice, but Esther did not hear him. She kept looking into space, her mind a chaos, her heart a mess. Without thinking twice about his actions, Sam rested a hand on her shoulder. "Esther."

The doctor snapped from her muddled thoughts to look at him. Sam took a deep breath, and nodded.

"I have to go back to the Headquarters." he told her, his voice solemn and strong. "Do you want to come back with me or not?"

Sam was putting it out easy for her; if she went back to the Headquarters, she would be going back as Pietro's doctor. However, if Esther decided to stay at the Hospital, then she would be saying goodbye to everything and everyone.

Looking down at her empty desk, Esther found herself nibbling on her lower lip again. She had begun clearing her office the moment she had stepped inside the Hospital, and Sam had not tried to stop her then. However, Sam was offering her a chance, he was giving her the opportunity to continue the job she had been asked to do when S.H.I.E.L.D. had first contacted her.

That was when her eyes fell upon her right hand; the bruise Pietro had caused clashed greatly with her pale skin. That was when Pietro's voice sang around her.

 _I never apologized, did I?_

Esther turned to look at Sam.

Then, she made her decision.

 **To Be Continued…**


	16. Chapter XVI

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing aside from the plot and unknown characters.

* * *

Hello everyone! I apologize for the delay. Things have been chaotic! Still, I hope you enjoy it! Oh, and thanks to everyone for your constant support. I am actually surprised there are so many of you supporting Esther x Sam. I must be honest, and admit I never thought of that. However, I will certainly keep it in mind.

Enjoy the ride!

* * *

 **Chapter XVI**

"Is that dobosh?" asked Pietro as he walked inside the kitchen. Wanda welcomed him with a wide smile as she placed a cake on the counter. Immediately, he rushed to his sister's side, but Wanda did not even blink at his speed. Instead, Wanda picked up a knife, and handed it to Pietro.

"I guess you deserve the first slice." she said with a teasing note in her voice, and Pietro glanced sideways at her before chuckling. With a knowing smirk, he took the knife, and cut a big slice before taking a bite. Wanda actually raised an eyebrow at that.

"You did not just eat the first slice of dobosh without asking if I wanted some!" she exclaimed, and Pietro blinked at that.

"You were the one who handed me the knife." he pointed out before taking another bite and Wanda elbowed him on the stomach. "Ow! Hey, I'm on recovery here!"

"What you are is late." Wanda corrected him, eyes glancing at the clock located on the opposite wall, and Pietro looked at it as well. Pouting, Pietro stuffed his mouth with the rest of the cake before turning to his sister.

"In case you don't know, I'm kind of fast." he informed Wanda before winking at her. Without saying anything else, he cut another slice of cake before rushing out of the kitchen. He ran so fast through the building's corridors that no one noticed him.

He ran inside the training room on the same second Steve crossed his arms as he stood by the windows, staring outside. Pietro took a bite of his cake as he stopped running.

"Good morning!" he greeted and Steve turned his head to look at him, a solemn expression on his face.

"You're late." the Captain pointed out, in the same position. Pietro shrugged at that, and Steve slowly turned to face him. "This isn't a joke. I'm sure you've realized that."

"I wasn't joking." Pietro told him as he finished eating the cake. "Wanda baked dobosh. You have no idea how much I missed eating her food. You should try it by the way."

"Although I am happy to see Wanda has recovered, now it's not the time to fool around." Steve stated, as if he had not heard a word Pietro had just said. "We need a strategic to help you before we decide to send you on a mission."

"I've told you I'm fine." Peter responded with a shrug, but Steve's expression did not waver. When he understood the Captain would not believe him, Pietro let out a sigh. "Listen, I'm fine. I feel great. I can deal with anything you throw at me."

"You know, I used to think like you." Steve declared, still with his arms folded against his chest. Pietro blinked at that. "When I woke up, even though I was extremely confused about everything, I did feel as if I could do anything. I mean, it didn't take long for me to be sent off on a mission after Thor's brother."

"See? If you could do it, why do you think I won't?" Pietro nearly whined as he also crossed his arms against his chest. "I might not be the great Captain America, but I'm not Quicksilver for nothing. You can ask Esther about her opinion if you want."

"The thing is, I couldn't do it. Not the way people thought I could." Steve corrected him, earning a surprised look from Pietro. "I struggled with memories the whole time. It was inevitable, really. Everything looked so familiar, and it was so easy to just get lost in my past, but I knew I couldn't."

A flash of a brunette with red lips appeared in his mind's eye, but Steve immediately erased it. Instead, he forced himself to stay focused.

"That was the hardest battle. It's easy to kick and punch people because they are right in front of you; they are real, but memories and nostalgia?" Steve found himself smiling at his own words before shaking his head, "There's nothing worse than fighting with yourself. You don't have a switch you can simply turn off. And you most definitely cannot act 100% rationally when in a fight because when the past manages to catch up with your present… Well, it's more troublesome than you think."

"So, you think something like that can happen to me?" Pietro asked, raising an eyebrow, and Steve had to fight back a sigh.

"I think your overconfidence might be your downfall." he corrected the younger man. "That's why I wanted to talk to you before we begin our training. I want you to understand the importance of not taking what happened to you lightly because that will haunt you forever."

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"But you wouldn't be if someone hadn't found you in time." Steve immediately pointed out without missing a beat, "Just like I wouldn't be here if someone hadn't tried to find me. That's why I'm here talking to you; because I know those last minutes before your death will haunt you forever as will everything that happened afterwards. You cannot ignore that because those memories will be part of you for the rest of your life."

"So, what do you want me to do? Keep up with my sessions with Esther?" Pietro asked, tilting his head to the side. "Or do you think I should be locked in this room, forever training because you're all worried I might flip during one of my missions?"

Steve actually released a sigh at those questions. For a moment, he just stared at Pietro before dropping his arms to his sides. Without looking away from Quicksilver, Steve made his way towards the younger man, who refused to break the eye-contact.

"I want you to accept what has happened to you." he finally said. "Wanda hovering around won't help her, just like your sessions with your doctor won't be enough if you don't accept what's happened to you. I know it's not easy. It will never be easy, but it will become less of a burden over time if you accept what happened in Sokovia and act accordingly."

"I know what happened. I was the one who died." Pietro commented with a short nod. The humorous speck in his eyes faded away as a serious mask appeared on his face. "I know it wasn't easy for Wanda to deal with it. It sure as hell wasn't easy for me, but I cannot let that control my life."

"Fine. Then, perhaps it's time for you to prove that." Steve said before turning around, and make his way towards the center of the room. When he reached that particular spot, he stopped, and turned around. "Come on. Let's give it a go."

"Where's your shield?" Pietro inquired with an eyebrow raised, and Steve shrugged one shoulder.

"Prove me I was wrong when I decided not to bring it with me," the Captain challenged him, and Pietro narrowed his eyes. Slowly, he closed his hands into tight fists while Steve just continued standing on the same spot without even raising his arms. "C'mon, let's begin."

Pietro did not need to be told twice.

Half an hour later, Natasha stepped inside the training room. She was taken by surprised when she spotted Steve standing next to Pietro who was sitting on the floor, elbows on his knees, hands gripping his hair.

Natasha had to stop herself from shaking her head.

"Tough training I imagine."

Steve glanced at her. Natasha sighed.

"I asked F.R.I.D.A.Y. to call someone." the Captain commented, "I didn't want to leave him alone."

"I told you before…" Pietro began without raising his head from his hands, "I'm not a baby."

"Then you need to stop acting like it." Steve immediately responded, and Natasha actually raised an eyebrow at that. Pietro slowly raised his head, but looked away when his eyes met Steve's. He did not care if he was pouting on that moment.

"Exhausting morning, eh?" Natasha asked, and this time Steve rolled his eyes. That was the moment when the doors of the training room swung open, Sam and Esther rushing inside with the later looking extremely apprehensive.

"What happened?" she asked, rushing to Pietro's side. Once her hands touching him, Pietro immediately pulled his arm away. Ignoring the hurtful expression on his doctor's face, Pietro stood up, and approached the closest window to his position. Esther looked down for a moment before gazing at both Steve and Natasha.

"Quicksilver had his first training today." Steve explained, "It went as expected."

Esther blinked at his frankness while Sam held back a chuckle.

"You mean it went badly." he stated, crossing his arms against his chest. While both Steve and Natasha looked at him in confirmation, Pietro looked sideways at Esther. When he noticed she was still staring worriedly at him, he clenched his jaw.

Then he did the only thing he could think of; he ran away from the training room without saying a word. Everyone turned to Steve at Pietro's disappearance, and the Captain took a long deep breath. Without saying anything, he went to Esther's side, and rested a hand on her shoulder. Then, after sharing a look with both Natasha and Sam, he left the room.

"Before you ask," Natasha began when both Sam and Esther looked at her, "I wasn't here when it happened. Whatever it was. I just know it wasn't good."

"His memories…" Esther trailed off, crossing her arms against her chest in a defensive manner, "Should I go after him?"

"Actually, you should leave." Natasha told her with a serious expression on her face, "Wanda's on her way, and we really don't need anymore troubles today."

"Oh c'mon…" Sam protested, and Esther looked down for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"You're right." she agreed in a quiet voice, "I should just go, I don't… I don't want to cause anyone unnecessary problems. It's just that… Well, Friday asked me to come here. She told me Pietro wasn't feeling well and I…" Esther paused, and shook her head. "I'll just go. Call me if you need anything."

"Was that really necessary?" Sam asked after Esther left the training room, and Natasha had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. "She only came here because F.R.I.D.A.Y. called her. There's no need to talk to her like that."

"We don't have time for pep talks, Sam." Natasha told him, matter-of-factly. "The sooner we deal with this, the better. We need everyone ready ASAP."

"Well, then perhaps you should think about other options."

"This isn't about me or us, for that matter." Natasha declared, "Let Steve handle this. For now, let's focus on our own training and leave the drama outside this room. C'mon, let's warm up; you get Vision today."

"How fun..." was all Sam said as he shook his head, and Natasha smirked.

On the meantime, Steve was wandering around through the Facility. F.R.I.D.A.Y. had already informed him where Pietro was, so all Steve needed was to think about what he was going to say to the younger man. It was not easy to speak about memories as hurtful as the ones they had. To think about the instances before their supposed deaths was a horror, one Steve tried not to think about often.

However, ever since Pietro's survival was announced, it had become harder for him to control his nostalgia.

 _I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance._

 _All right. A week next Saturday at The Stork Club._

 _You've got it._

 _Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?_

 _You know, I still don't know how to dance._

 _I'll show you how. Just be there._

 _We'll have the band play something slow. I'd hate to step on your..._

Steve paused, and closed his eyes. Pressing his nose with two fingers, the Captain took in a deep breath. His senses tried to focus on his surroundings; the voices, the steps, the usual commotion. His heart, however, was trying to stay focused on his past.

"Hey man!" a familiar voice greeted, and Steve snapped from his daze. Looking over his shoulder, he felt relief settle on his shoulders when Clint appeared behind him. "You look terrible."

Steve had to fight back a faint smile.

"You have no idea..." he said, "But it's good that you're here. I need some advice."

* * *

Her notepad was filled with information about Pietro. From his age, height to his condition, Esther had always made sure she kept everything updated. She had inclusively written notes on the sides of the pages, scribbling things as she recalled them. For months Esther had kept that notepad locked inside her bedside table, but now that was all she could hold on to.

Unfortunately, she had never written anything about what she should do once Wanda found out the truth.

Groaning, Esther dropped the notepad to her lap before pressing her hands to her face. Everything was so messed up, she truly had no clue about what to do next. One side of her wanted to go find Wanda, and explain everything, but the other side of her was too afraid to do it. It was not as if Esther was afraid of Wanda's power. Oh no, Esther was far more afraid of Wanda's reaction on itself.

"Oh..." Esther groaned as she fell on her back, the comfort of her bed doing nothing to smooth her anxiety. The doctor ran her hands through her hair before throwing an arm over her eyes. She honestly had no idea about what she should do next...

"Doctor Lewis," F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke all of a sudden, but Esther did not even bother to drop her arm. Instead, she let out a faint moan in reply, "Vision is on the other side of the door, requesting to come in. May I grant permission?"

Slowly, Esther peaked over her shoulder towards the ceiling, almost as if she was expecting to find F.R.I.D.A.Y. looking back at her. As she took a deep breath, Esther sat up straight again, and looked over her shoulder, in direction of the door of her bedroom.

"Has he told you what he wants?" she asked.

"No, he has not." was F.R.I.D.A.Y's response, and Esther fought back a sigh. As she stood up, she gave permission for the door to open automatically, and braced herself for what was to come. Once Vision came to view, Esther felt her breath get stuck on her throat.

"Doctor Lewis," greeted the android with a short nod, "May I come in?"

"Yes, of course." Esther immediately responded, and Vision stepped inside, the door closing behind him with a soft hiss. Esther tried to ignore the way her mouth had gone dry. "What can I do for you?"

"I have a question I'd like to ask." Vision informed her in his usual serene tone, "And I'd like you to be complete honest with me."

Esther swallowed hard before nodding.

"Why did you befriend Wanda when you knew you'd eventually hurt her?" Vision inquired, and Esther had to fight against the urge of closing her hands into fists. "I have been trying to understand your actions, but I simply cannot find a reason. I truly believed you had befriended Wanda because you liked her."

"I didn't befriend Wanda to–" Esther stopped abruptly, dropping her hands as she took in a deep breath. "It was never my intention to hurt Wanda. You need to understand, I was ordered not to say anything. When I first came here, I did not want to meet Wanda because I was afraid of what could happen if I did."

Esther paused, and Vision tilted his head to the side.

"However, when Wanda first spoke to me... After we played _Monopoly_ , I guess I was... I believe I was drawn to her." the doctor proceeded, "Perhaps I was being selfish. After all, by being close to Wanda, I could have glimpses of a man I did not know yet. Perhaps I should have been stronger, and should have stepped away when I realised I was getting too close to Wanda, but then Pietro woke up, and I..."

Unconsciously, Esther looked down at her bruised hand. Cradling it to her chest, Esther looked up, her eyes meeting Vision's.

"When I was told about what had happened to the Maximoff twins in Sokovia... When I was told I was going to be Pietro's physician, and would have the privilege of taking care of him..." Esther licked her dry lips, "Once I found out I would be giving Wanda her solace back, I thought anything would be worth losing if that meant bringing Pietro back to her life. However... I guess I was not ready for the pain it would bring as well."

There was a moment of silence. Esther noticed the way Vision glanced down at her bruised hand before looking at her in the eye again. He was studying her, that much was obvious. He was trying to see if she was simply trying to deceive him. Vision truly cared for Wanda, that much was certain.

"If that's true," Vision began after a while, and Esther mentally braced herself for his question, "Why are you hiding? Are you afraid of Wanda's power?"

"I am scared of Wanda's power, yes." Esther corrected him with a short nod, "However, I am afraid of her reaction to everything I've done so far. While it might not have been my interest to hurt her, she has no reason to think otherwise."

"You are not afraid of her power?" Vision's bewilderment was so evident it was nearly laughable.

"I know what Wanda's capable of." Esther told him, "But I still consider her my friend, and as such I am far more preoccupied with her feelings rather than with what she may do to me when she sees me."

"That is..." Vision frowned, "Unexpected."

"Believe me, I know the feeling." Esther told him as she tried not to smile. "But let me tell you I find your actions beautiful." Vision stared weirdly at her, and Esther continued. "You care for Wanda deeply. You coming here to try to understand what's going on reflects your feelings quite beautifully."

"... Thank you?" Vision sounded quite unsure, and this time Esther did smile at his facial expression. "Also, allow me to thank you for your sincerity. Perhaps I do understand your selfishness to a point, but allow me to give you an advise. Do not try to hide for much longer; Wanda has an acute ability of finding us wherever we may be."

There was a pause, and Esther felt something pulsate through the air.

"Also, I think Wanda deserves to know what her brother went through before returning to her." Vision added quietly, his eyes boring into Esther's. The doctor pressed her lips together, her heart beating against her ears as she returned the gaze. That was when Vision suddenly stepped forward, and lowered his gaze towards her abused hand again. "After all, I believe you may have suffered as well."

Those words caught Esther completely off guard. Her eyes widened, and her nose began to burn. She could feel her eyes tearing up, her chest aching as struggled to keep her breathing controlled and calm. Before Esther knew it, though, a tear managed to roll down her cheek. She immediately covered it with the back of her hand, and nervously met Vision's gaze.

He was observing her with a mix of curiosity and interest.

"You cry..." he pointed out, almost as if he was taken aback by her reaction to his words. "Someone with no feelings would certainly not react as humanly as you are on this moment. Perhaps if you let Wanda see this side of you – and perhaps show you her wounded side as well – you might be capable of surviving this hardship."

"Thank you..." Esther murmured, still with the hand pressed to her cheek. "Thank you for your help..."

"I don't think I've done much. All I wanted was to understand, and how else would I comprehend the situation if I did not speak to you?" Vision inquired, sounding quite nonchalant despite the heavy topic. "I am certain you and Wanda will work this out. As I've said before, she likes you, and she considers you a friend."

"She's my friend too..." Esther's voice shook as she spoke, and Vision surprised her with a small smile.

"Thank you again, Doctor Lewis." was all he said before turning around, and walk towards the door, which automatically opened up. He seemed to hesitate though, but Esther would have missed it if Vision had not spoken to someone outside. "Excuse me..."

As she ran her fingers through her cheek, Esther watched as Vision stepped outside only to feel time stop when her eyes fell on Pietro's figure. He looked hesitant about coming inside, but the way he was clenching his jaw showed he was suppressing something. Anger, perhaps?

"Pietro...?" Esther breathed out, and the silver haired man looked at her. When their eyes met, Esther found herself nearly rushing towards the door of her room. "What's the matter?"

"... Why can't I do it?"

Pietro's question took her off guard. He had dropped his gaze right before uttering that question, and when Esther looked down she saw his clenched hands. His fists were so tight that his knuckles were turning white, his arms shaking at the effort. Without thinking about her actions, Esther reached out for his right hand.

"Come inside." she told him in a soft voice, pulling him towards her as she spoke. The door closed behind him when he followed her, and Esther silently motioned him to sit down on the bed. When Pietro sat down, Esther sat on her legs, in front of him. "What's wrong?"

"I couldn't do it..." Pietro told her, still without meeting her eyes. "The Captain... He wanted to spar, and I... I just couldn't..."

All of a sudden, Pietro closed his eyes tightly, and pressed his hands to his hair. A growl escaped from his throat, his feet tapping the floor in sheer annoyance. Esther watched him for a moment, and realization hit her: he had been unable to deal with the training.

"Pietro..." she whispered, her hands now clasped on top of her legs, "It's all right to panic. You must remem– "

"No, it's not all right!" Pietro snapped, his eyes finally meeting hers as he dropped his hands. "I couldn't handle a simple hand-to-hand combat. When he slammed me into the wall, I... I remembered it... I remembered his words..."

Pietro paused, and Esther waited.

"If you die..." Pietro murmured, his hands now on his face. "Walk it off. I walked it off... I did what he wanted, and yet... And yet I can't do it, and it was just a stupid training and he... He told me my overconfidence will be my downfall and I..."

Pietro began rambling in Sokovian, and Esther lost track of his words. Still, his frustration, his anger and his sadness were flagrant. She could see it reflected in his eyes, in the way he kept griping his hair... Without thinking twice, Esther reached out for his head, and pressed it to her chest, right over her heart.

"Calm down, Pietro..." she urged him in a tranquil voice, "Please, calm down..."

Suddenly, Pietro wrapped his arms around her torso, his fists holding the back of her shirt. He was shaking in her arms, his breathing quite erratic as he tried to follow the rhythm of her heart. Esther closed her eyes as she felt his breath caress her chest, and she unconsciously pressed her right hand to the top of his head.

"You knew this could happen…" Esther began in a soft voice, as if she was speaking to a child. "You knew it wouldn't be easy. This was your first training; it would be odd if it didn't affect you somehow. However, now you know how it is, and I'm certain you'll be able to fight back."

Pietro surprised her with silence. His hands were still gripping her shirt, his hair tickling her neck as his forehead continued pressed to her sternum. Before she knew it, Esther began rocking their bodies while humming a melody.

"I remember that song…" Pietro finally said without moving his head, and Esther stopped rocking him. She looked down at his mass of light hair, waiting for him to continue. "It was playing when I woke up, and your voice… I thought it used to belong to a dream, but now…"

Gently, Pietro moved backwards, and Esther dropped her hand to his shoulder. His clear eyes met hers, and the young doctor was pleased to notice there was no irritation in them anymore.

"You spoke to me, didn't you?" he asked, "While I was asleep?"

"Oh, yes, I did." Esther answered with a short nod, and a shy smile appeared on her face. "Doctor Cho didn't think it was the wisest decision, but I thought speaking to you could make you react to my voice. Apparently, Yiruma got a reaction out of you, and not me, though."

"Yiruma?" Pietro repeated, and Esther shook her head.

"I'll tell you all about him later." she told him, "For now, let's focus on you. You once asked me if I thought you could do it. Do you remember what I said?"

"You said I was a force of nature." Pietro immediately responded, and Esther tried not to smile at his instant answer.

"Yes, I did, and I still stand by that." she informed him. Unconsciously, she pressed a hand to his cheek, feeling his stubble play with her skin. "I may not know for how long I'll be able to watch your growth, but I am certain you will do great things, Pietro. All you need to do is believe in yourself."

"What?" Pietro asked as he frowned. "What do you mean; you don't know for how long you'll be here? Are they planning to send you somewhere?"

"That is a possibility, yes." Esther said, "I was asked to help you with your recovery, and you have improved at a surprising rate. I believe that soon they won't need me here anymore. I believe I might be sent some."

"What if I want you around?" Pietro inquired, and Esther felt the corner of her lips threatening to curl upwards into a cheerless smile.

"I'm afraid that's not our decision."

Esther felt something shift in the air when silence fell upon them, but tried to ignore it. Instead, she kept her eyes locked with Pietro's as she felt him tense up. She was about to move her hand away from his face, when Pietro rested his over hers. Her stomach flipped, her heartbeat increasing slightly under Pietro's intense gaze.

She felt her lips go dry as Pietro moved his head until his noses were almost touching.

"What if I want you to stay with me?" he asked, and Esther felt her breath hitch. The shade of blue in Pietro's eyes grew darker as he moved closer, his hand never releasing hers.

"Pietro, I'll have to go eventually. I– "

"What if I ask you to stay?"

 _Doctor Lewis, I believe you do not wish to compromise your position as Quicksilver's doctor. Therefore, I advise you not to get too close to him. You are his doctor; you must be careful not to overstep your boundaries.  
_

Esther struggled not to react as Helen's voice echoed in her ears, causing her heart to shudder.

 _I always thought you'd kick and scream. I actually thought you'd put up a fight. You always spoke of this project as if it was a dream come true. I guess I was wrong._

 _This is a dream come true._

 _It sure doesn't look like it from where I'm standing._

"That…" Esther heard herself say, "Is not up to us to decide."

"Esther…" Pietro paused, and squeezed her hand softly enough as to not to hurt her. The doctor looked down at the way he whispered her name, and tried to hold back her wish to cry. "I don't want you to go."

"I am your physician," Esther explained, ignoring the way her voice shook, "You are my patient. Eventually our connection will have to come to an end, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that you will become stronger if you don't give up."

"Doesn't matter?" Pietro repeated, puckering his brow as he reflected on her words. "You think it doesn't matter? Was I really just an assignment to you?"

"Please, don't do this…" Esther nearly begged, her eyes dropping until Pietro forced her to look up when his forehead met hers. Her eyes were wide, but Pietro's were closed as his warm breath caressed her face.

"Please…" he whispered, mimicking her voice, "You can't be serious…"

"Oh Pietro…" Esther nearly sobbed, and she threw her arms around his shoulders, her head moving to rest on his shoulder. "Don't make this harder than it already is! I need you to focus on your recovery. Regardless of where I might be, I want you to know I'll be rooting for you to the end!"

"You can root for me right here! You know my medical background better than anyone!" Pietro exclaimed, surprising Esther by resting his hands on her cheeks, forcing her to face him. "You are the only one who can help me!"

"Wanda can help you."

"Wanda's my sister, and I know she'll back me up, but I need your support!" Pietro interrupted her without looking away from Esther's eyes. "I want you to be here! I need you!"

It was only when Pietro finished talking that Esther realized how close their faces were. Her heart was hammering against her chest, her mind conflicted by her thoughts and emotions. The truth was she wanted to stay there. She wanted to follow Pietro until the end, but Esther also knew there was a barrier she could not cross. A barrier that she wanted to traverse, but that she knew she could not.

"Pietro…" Esther nearly sobbed, her nose bumping into his as she spoke, and she felt Pietro caress her cheeks with his thumbs. "I don't–"

"I apologize for interrupting, Doctor Lewis, but Wanda is searching for her brother." F.R.I.D.A.Y. spoke all of a sudden, breaking the moment. "I've informed her of Quicksilver's presence in your room. Should I tell her to wait?"

Esther's heart fell at those words.

 **To Be Continued…**

 **Authoress Note:** For those who might be interested, check out _Yiruma_ – River Flows in You. That is the song Esther was humming in this chapter. Thank you for the attention!


	17. Chapter XVII

**Disclaimer:** I own thing aside from the plot and original characters.

* * *

 **Authoress Note:** I have only recently noticed I have been writing this story for a year now. One whole year! Wow! Time certainly flies fast! Anyway, here is the latest chapter. We are finally beginning to tie some loose ends. I hope you enjoy the newest ride!

* * *

 **Chapter XVII**

There was a strange sensation of loneliness in the air. It pulsated lightly through the air, creating ripples around her, echoing in her soul. It was a strangely familiar melody as it sang softly into her ears, chasing away happy endings as it drew nightmares and sad endings nearer.

Wanda Maximoff had never expected to feel such a swirl of heartrending emotions and feelings. Then again, she had not been expecting to be on the other side of Agent Clint Barton's glare either.

As she took a deep breath through the nose, Wanda looked down at her hands. Her power had long quieted down, but she could still feel it humming through her veins. It felt as if a warm blanket had been placed on top of her, protecting her from the cold. Unfortunately, it was not capable of shielding her from Clint's defiant stare.

He had been staring at her for a long time now, most likely thinking about what to say. Still, Wanda was sure he would speak soon enough.

"What were you thinking?" Clint asked all of a sudden, arms crossed against his chest, and Wanda immediately looked up at his tone. When their eyes met, she looked away. Clint released a sigh. "Wanda, what were you thinking, attacking a civilian like that?"

"It wasn't on purpose…" Wanda heard herself say, her voice coming out low and soft. Her eyes fell on her hands, which she closed into loosened fists. "You know I'd never attack anyone on purpose. I just… My power, it… It just lashed out…"

"Your power never lashes out. Not like that." Clint instantly corrected her, and Wanda looked down to her knees. For a moment, Clint did not move, but before Wanda could come up with something to say, he sat down next to her. Wanda hesitated before looking at him. "Why don't you just tell me what happened?"

"…You're not going to like it." Wanda responded, rather timorously, but when Clint simply continued looking at her, she bit her lower lip. Closing her eyes, Wanda took a deep breath, and allowed her mind to go back to what had happened just two hours before.

* * *

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. where is my brother?" Wanda inquired as she stepped inside the dormitory hallway. Her heart was beating steadily against her chest, the bond she shared with her brother growing stronger as she walked. "Is he in his room?"

"No, Miss Wanda, he is in Doctor Lewis room." F.R.I.D.A.Y. kindly corrected, and Wanda froze at those words. Her eyes went from the ceiling to the door that led to Esther's room, at the end of the hallway. Her heart shook as she unconsciously closed her hands into tight fists. "Shall I inform them you are looking for Quicksilver?"

"Yes. Tell them I'm here." Wanda told the computer system, and when silence surrounded her, she closed her eyes. Her power growled as Wanda recalled what had happened the day before at the Barton's house. Her power roared as memories of every moment Wanda had shared with Esther while speaking of her brother filled her mind.

"Miss Wanda, Doctor Lewis and Quicksilver are here."

When Wanda heard the door of Esther's door hissing, she opened her eyes. She knew they were glowing red. Her power snarled when she saw Esther emerging from her room behind Pietro.

"Wanda, what's wrong?" Pietro asked as he stepped in front of his physician with a nonchalant attitude, but Wanda could see beyond his actions. Pietro had stepped in front of Esther because he wanted to protect her. Wanda nearly laughed at his posture; was her brother actually behaving as if she was some sort of insane woman?

"I heard about what happened during your training." Wanda told Pietro, the red in her eyes fading slightly. "I was worried. Why didn't you come to me? I could've tried to help you…"

"I know, but I… I wasn't thinking straight." Pietro apologized with a small smile. Then, he shrugged his right shoulder. "That and I didn't want you to see my uncool side, I guess."

"Of all things you could tell me…" Wanda shook her head while trying to keep a smile from her lips.

"It's true, though." Pietro told her before gazing over his shoulder. Wanda tensed up when she noticed the smile he shared with Esther before looking at her again. "It was harder than I thought. Going back to training, I mean. I just needed… I don't know… I needed to calm down, and I just… I just couldn't be around the Avengers…"

"You could've come to me." Wanda immediately informed him, "We've always done that. Ever since we were children, so why…" Wanda licked her lips while trying to keep her eye locked with Pietro's clear ones. "When did that change?"

"It didn't change, I just needed…" Pietro paused, his hands resting on his hips as he took a deep breath, dropping his head as he did. When his eyes met Wanda's again, she felt her whole body shake at the intensity of his spirit. "I just needed to go somewhere where I could…"

There was a short pause, and Wanda had to stop herself from crossing her arms against her chest as she waited.

"I needed to find a place where I could just show my fears." Pietro eventually said, and Wanda felt her heart skip a beat at those words. Her power hissed at her ears, growling as both sadness and resentment bloomed in her stomach.

"And you couldn't come to me?" Wanda nearly roared, her hands shaking as her power burnt her muscles. "What happened to all those years when we'd share everything? What happened to all those years when we'd sneak from the orphanage, and spend nights talking about everything and nothing? What happened to—?"

"Wanda, please, don't do this." Pietro begged, shaking his head. Wanda gritted her teeth at his patronizing tone. Narrowing her eyes, she felt her power beginning to lick her hands, boiling as it breathed out of her chest. "It's not that I didn't want to go to you. I just… I just needed to talk to someone who could understand what I went through, and I… I just couldn't…"

"I'm sorry, Wanda." Esther spoke all of a sudden, and when Pietro turned to look at her, the doctor gave one step forward. "I'm so sorry. I know how this must look, but believe me when I say I am not replacing you."

Something snapped in Wanda's mind at those words. Her eyes flashed red as her attention went from Pietro's figure to the hesitant physician standing beside him.

"Replace me?" Wanda snorted before shaking her head. Slowly, she gave one step forward. "You think you can replace me?"

"That's not what I meant—"

"Who do you think you are?" Wanda snarled, eyes narrowing as she kept her attention focused on Esther, who did not back away as the Scarlet Witch approached her like a feral animal. "What makes you think you can come here, pretend to be my friend, and try to steal my brother from under of my nose?"

"Wanda, I—" Esther stopped when Wanda's glowing red eyes locked with hers. Wanda could feel the physician's panic even though she was three steps away from her. "I don't want to steal your bother from you, and I truly… I never…"

Esther closed her eyes for a moment, and Wanda waited for her next words.

"I never wanted to hurt you"

Wanda burst out laughing. Her voice echoed through the hallway, her right arm wrapping around her middle as she laughed. Wanda knew her eyes were still red, even in that moment of hilarity but that did not stop her from giggling. When she eventually did, though, her smile became a frown.

"You never wanted to hurt me?" Wanda practically spat the words without looking away from Esther. "Every time I spoke about my brother, you listened to me. I always thought I had your attention because you cared. Now I can see you only talked to me because you needed to know more about Pietro."

"That isn't true." Esther tried to say, but Wanda stuck a hand in the air, silencing her immediately.

"You lied to me. You pretended to be my friend, because you needed information about Pietro." Wanda repeated, without raising her voice. "Otherwise, you wouldn't know what to do with him. Am I wrong?"

"Wanda, that's enough." Pietro stepped in, and Wanda glanced sideways at him before focusing her attention on Esther again. When she saw the doctor gently resting a hand on Pietro's arm, something inside of her flared.

"I listened to you because you are my friend." Esther said in a quiet yet strong voice. "You told me about your childhood, about how you wished to have your brother back… I listened to your every word, hoping, wanting to tell you Pietro was alive, but I couldn't. I had been ordered not to say a word, and I… That was the hardest thing I had to do. You have to believe me."

"I don't!" Wanda almost shouted with eyes wide open. Her power escaped from her skin, wrapping around her hands with a red glow. "I don't care that you were ordered. You always acted as if you were worried. You made me believe you're my friend, and still… And still…"

Wanda's blazing glare went from Esther to Pietro, and then back to Esther again. Her fingers shook as she felt her power screaming at her ears, waiting to be released.

"I showed you my deepest pain," Wanda continued, her voice dropping significantly, and she saw Esther swallow dry. "And now I'm going to see yours!"

"Wanda, don't!" Pietro shouted on the same moment both Steve and Clint stormed inside the hallway, but not even Quicksilver was fast enough. Wanda unleashed her power, reaching out for Esther, whose eyes promptly rolled back as she lost her consciousness.

* * *

"Wanda…" Clint sighed as the young woman stared down at her hands, "I understand you feel betrayed. I know how you feel, but using your power against a defenseless woman is inexcusable."

"I know…"

"How does it feel?"

Wanda looked up at that question. Clint was simply looking at her with a sad expression on his face. On that moment, something in her chest broke, and Wanda felt her nose burn, her eyes tearing up. Pulling her lips into a thin line, Wanda released a shaky breath before answering.

"I feel empty…" Wanda explained in a quiet voice, "There's a sense of isolation I never expected to feel. I was… I don't know. Hoping I'd see the boogie man or some sort of fear related to science, but truth is…"

Wanda paused, playing with her lower lip for a moment, closing her hands into fists as she struggled to speak.

"All I felt was loneliness."

All of a sudden, one of Clint's hands appeared on top of her left one. Wanda stared down at his fingers before gazing up. Thankfully, no tear rolled down her cheeks as Wanda struggled to push them back.

"I know this isn't easy to accept," Clint began, no judgment in his voice, "But Doctor Lewis had to follow her orders. I've spoken to Sam, and perhaps you should do the same."

"I don't think I can do that." Wanda told him, and Clint's cheeks hardened for a moment as he thought about what to say next.

"You can't just stay locked up in your bedroom forever," he eventually told her, and Wanda looked away. "You know what you did was wrong. You must certainly know you can't keep this up. You need to talk to Doctor Lewis, and fix all of this. You two are friends."

"No, we're not." Wanda snorted as she shook her head, and Clint pressed a hand on her shoulder. Instantly, Wanda looked up at him.

"Yes, you are." he corrected her, "She was following orders. The same thing may very well happen to you when you start going out on missions. You need to learn how to separate things no matter how hard they might be. Doctor Lewis is your friend."

Slowly, Clint reached out for something inside his pants' pocket. Wanda blinked when he revealed a small notepad. The older Avenger looked down at it for a moment before handing the notebook to Wanda.

"You should read this." Clint advised her in a calm voice, and Wanda studied the notepad for a moment before reaching out for it. Clint dropped his hand when she grabbed it. "Doctor Lewis told me about it when she woke up. She asked me to give it to you. She also said that if you still refuse to be friends after reading that, then she'll understand, and she'll do her best to stay away."

"… Have you read it?" Wanda asked as Clint stood up, and he shook his head.

"It was not my place to read it," was all he said before making his way out of the lounge. As Clint's footsteps faded away, Wanda looked down at the notepad, noticing how well-worn it was. Some pages were curling at the bottom, obviously having been abused over and over.

For a moment, Wanda closed her eyes. The feeling of sadness and loneliness was still hovering around her like a dark cloud crying over her heart. As she took a deep breath, Wanda looked at the notebook for a few more seconds before she decided to open it.

* * *

"So, how are you feeling?"

Esther smiled as Sam handed her a cup of water and a couple of painkillers. Whispering a thank you, she took the painkillers, and swallowed them with a sip of water. As she finished drinking the cool liquid, Esther put the cup on top of the table in front of her.

"I'm all right." she responded, before trying and failing to enlighten the mood. "Pietro saved me from cracking my skull open when I fainted, so I'm all right."

As she spoke, Esther looked towards the light haired man sitting next to her. From the moment she had woken up from her fainting fit Pietro had not only refused to look at her, but he had also refused to leave her side as well. Esther had tried speaking to him, but he had never reacted. Sam had been the one to explain how they been taken to Sam's room while Clint took Wanda away.

Gently, Esther raised a hand, and reached out for Pietro's arm. He did not look at her at her touch.

"Pietro, you should go see your sister." she told him, "I'm fine, and I'm certain she needs more help than I do. Besides, Sam's here."

"Yeah, you should definitely go check how your sister's going." Sam agreed as he crossed his arms, refusing to sit down as he turned to Quicksilver. "I'm pretty sure she won't come here on her own, no matter what Barton may tell her."

For a moment there was nothing. Pietro kept his eyes focused on his clasped hands, his shoulders tensed with worry. Esther glanced sideways at Sam, who met her gaze with a nod before turning to look at Pietro again. As she licked her lips, Esther shifted closer to the youngest Avenger, inwardly sighing in relief when he did not move away.

"Pietro," Esther tried again, her hand still on his arm. "Pietro, look at me."

Her tone of voice was so strong that Pietro ended up obeying. His clear eyes easily found hers, a trait the two of them were beginning to develop effortlessly. Still, Esther knew that was not the time to notice such insignificant things.

"You need to go see your sister."

"What did you see?" Pietro finally asked without breaking the eye-contact, and for a second Esther forgot how to breathe. Then, she shook her head.

"There's no point in talking about that now," she explained, "Nothing happened. The worst that could have happened was me hitting with my head when I lost consciousness. Thankfully, you were there to stop that from happening."

"I know what my sister is capable of. I just want to make sure you're all right." Pietro emphasized his concern by resting a hand on top of Esther's, since she was still touching his arm. "Can't I worry?"

"Oh, tosh!" Esther exclaimed all of a sudden, waving her free hand in the air. Pietro looked confused for a moment, but she simply continued. "Yes, I admit; it wasn't a pretty thing to remember, but I got used to it. I think your sister still stopped herself from going deep into my memories when she released her power despite the circumstances."

"You mean, when she attacked you." Sam interrupted her, and Esther looked at him.

"No, I know what I said, and I'm not mistaken." she corrected him before turning to Pietro again. "Your sister has every right to be angry at me. Orders or no orders, I still withheld a very important piece of information from her. One I knew would change her life. I can only image what's going through her mind right now."

"Is that why you told Barton to go to your room, and fetch your notepad?" Sam inquired, and Esther nodded while waiting a few seconds before gazing at the older man. "You think Wanda will calm down after reading whatever you wrote in it?"

"Everything in that notebook is related to the _Silver Ascension_ project." Esther explained, her eyes going from Sam to Pietro, who was silently watching her. "I am hoping Wanda will understand everything after reading it, but I am not entirely sure she will be interested given the most recent events."

"She will." Pietro said all of a sudden. Esther felt him tenderly squeeze her hand. "Wanda just wants to understand the situation. Besides, I think you'll explain everything much better than me."

Esther tried to smile. She noticed how Pietro's eyes slipped from her fingers down to her hand. The bruise was still quite visible, but it was finally beginning to fade away. In a week or so it would be gone. Inwardly, Esther wondered if she would be gone by then as well.

 _What if I ask you to stay?_

 _Wanda's my sister, and I know she'll back me up, but I need your support! I want you to be here! I need you!_

Esther closed her eyes as Pietro's voice whispered at her ears. When she opened them again, she realized Pietro was staring at her. Her cheeks began to burn, and Esther turned to Sam in a failed attempt to hide both her embarrassment and reddened face.

"Just go to her." Esther said, her voice tight.

"Eh?"

As she tried to keep the warmth in her face down, Esther turned to face Pietro again. A mask of confusion had been placed on his face, and Esther smiled at him. Slowly, she withdrew her hand from underneath his, trying to ignore the way her fingers tingled at the lack of warmth.

"Go to Wanda," Esther repeated, this time in a lighter note. "She's going to need you."

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on this one while you're gone." Sam teased with a smirk, and while Esther raised an eyebrow at that, Pietro kept his eyes locked with his physician's face.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" he asked, and Esther chuckled.

"I've just swallowed two painkillers, and I have The Falcon watching over me," she said. "I'm sure I'll be just fine. Just go." when Esther noticed that Pietro was still torn between staying and going, she softly pushed him away with a smile. "Go!"

"All right, but I'll be back!" Pietro reassured her as he stood up, and Esther had to stop herself from shaking her head.

"I'll be here." she told him, but her smile faded from her face when Pietro suddenly bent down, and placed a kiss on top of her head. Before Esther could process what was happening, Pietro disappeared from the room.

"Oh, this is interesting…" Sam spoke all of a sudden as he took the seat previously occupied by Pietro. Esther felt her cheeks turning pink under Sam's knowing smirk, "So, let's first talk about what happened in your room. When we have all that figured out, we'll talk about this sudden development between you and Quicksilver."

"But—"

"Ah! You better not even try!" Sam interrupted her, raising a finger in the air, "Better me than the Cap or Natasha."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…" Esther's voice dropped as she looked down, and Sam fought back a smirk.

"That's all right." he told her, and Esther raised her eyes to look at him. "I know exactly where to begin. Let's start from the moment Pietro showed up in your room, and we'll work from there. What do you say?"

Esther looked at him, heart in her throat. Still, when she noticed the way Sam was looking at her, Esther felt the corner of her lips curling upwards into a timid smile. As she rested her hands on her knees, Esther nodded.

On the same moment Esther began to explain what had occurred back in her room, Pietro reached the lounge. When he peered inside, he saw Wanda curled up in the sofa, reading a notebook. She was so focused in what she was reading that she only noticed he was there when Pietro occupied the spot next to her.

Wanda looked at him as Pietro sat down. Then, without saying anything, she shifted closer to him, and pressed her head to her brother's shoulder. Wordlessly, she raised the notebook so that both of them could read it.

The stillness continued.

 **To Be Continued…**


	18. Chapter XVIII

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing aside from the plot and unknown characters.

* * *

So, I am alive. Took me a while to come back on track, but I have finally managed to write this chapter down. I hope everyone likes it.

* * *

 **Chapter XVIII**

 _The Silver Ascension Project: Pietro Maximoff._

 _The opportunity of a lifetime: to bring someone's solace back to life._

 _Doctor Helen Cho showed me the results of the experiments they concluded before calling me. It is vital to go through them to make sure everything takes place in the approved manner._

 _Some exams are mind-blowing. It is of great importance to revise them adequately._

 _There is one exam I do not fully understand: the GH. I must ask Doctor Cho about it._

 _I have met Wanda… I wonder if Pietro is alike her. She looks lonely. I must do my best to make sure her brother returns to her._

 _Pietro woke up. Let the miracle begin._

Wanda looked up from the notepad, her eyes settling on the table in front of her. Pietro was sitting next to her, observing the scribbled page in silence. They had already read the papers once, but her brother had not protested when she had decided to go through them again. Instead, Pietro had silently observed her movements, and understood what she had wanted to do before she even spoke.

Her chest felt heavy, and Wanda had no idea of what she was supposed to do about it. She did not have to try hard to recall the empty feelings that had embraced her after she had attacked Esther with her powers. Inwardly, Wanda could not help but feel ashamed of her own actions. After re-reading Esther's notes, she understood where she had been wrong. Still, Wanda knew she had not been the only one to act inappropriately. Regardless of her actions, Esther still held had own share of unfairness.

Sighing, Wanda looked at the notepad again but before she could read it, she felt Pietro squeezing her shoulders. Silently, she looked up, right into Pietro's clear eyes, and was genuinely surprised by the smile he welcomed her with.

"So, are you ready to go talk to her?" he asked all of a sudden, and Wanda blinked at that. "C'mon sis, you need to have a nice chat with her. Maybe you can take a cup of tea as a peace offering. I'm pretty sure Esther would like that."

"Oh really?" Wanda asked as she raised an eyebrow, and Pietro gently pulled her closer to him. "You think a cup of tea will be enough to make us good friends again?"

"I don't think you've ever stopped being good friends, but you're girls so…" Pietro chuckled, "Whatever suits you best."

Wanda shook her head, and decided not to say anything. Instead, she looked down at Esther's notepad again, and ran the tip of her fingers over the written paper. Her eyes skimmed down Esther's handwriting, taking in how many times Pietro's name showed up along with hers. Esther did write a lot about the two of them…

"Did she take good care of you?" Wanda inquired all of a sudden without looking away from the notepad. From beside her, Pietro took a deep breath, and tenderly pressed the side of her head against his shoulder. "I mean, you're here so I'm sure she did, but…"

"She took good care of me, yes." Pietro told her when Wanda trailed off. "Esther always refused to leave me before making sure everything was all right with me. Still, I think it's safe to say that…"

Pietro waved a hand towards the notepad.

"I'm sure she thought a lot about you too." he continued, "Especially after she met you."

As she took a deep breath in, Wanda straightened up, abandoning her brother's warmth. Esther's notepad fell to her lap, but Wanda paid no attention to it. Instead, she gazed at the tall windows across from her position, the darkness outside allowing her to see her reflection.

Licking her lips, Wanda stood up, and slowly made her way towards the windows. Unconsciously, she crossed her arms against her chest, her eyes focused on her own reflection. From the corner of her eye, Wanda could see Pietro still occupying the sofa, making no motion to follow her.

"I know what I did was wrong," Wanda began after a moment of silence, "But she was wrong too. She should've told me. She… Even if she couldn't tell me the whole truth, she should've told me something…"

"Like what? She couldn't tell you I was alive. They ordered her not to." Pietro spoke from the sofa, but Wanda refused to look over her shoulder. "I still think you should go talk to her. I know she's anxious to see you."

Wanda closed her eyes, and glued her lips. Lowering her head, she breathed deeply before dropping her arms to her sides. Slowly, she turned to face her brother, and tried to smile. She had been about to part her lips to speak when Vision appeared on the doorway.

"Vis, what are you doing here?" Wanda inquired, and the android walked inside, glancing sideways at Pietro as he did.

"I was informed you both were here." Vision explained, his eyes on Wanda once more. "I was told about what happened with Doctor Lewis, and I thought I should come here and tell you something."

For some reason, Wanda felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment as her eyes locked with Vision's.

"I spoke to her," Vision continued as he stood next to the sofa, "To Doctor Lewis that is. I asked her why she'd decided to befriend you when she knew she would eventually hurt you. I must say I was surprised when she told me she befriended you because she was drawn to you."

Wanda tried to speak, but Vision did not give her the chance to.

"Doctor Esther told me she had thought it would be worth risking everything just to bring your brother back to your life," he said, "However, apparently she was not prepared for the pain her decision resulted in."

"Why are you telling me this?" Wanda inquired, but Vision did not even blink.

"I asked Doctor Lewis if she was afraid of your power." he said, "Surprisingly she told me that although she was aware of what you're capable of, she was far more preoccupied with your feelings rather than with your abilities."

"You think I should forgive her?" Wanda questioned, and Vision gently walked closer to her.

"I believe you two should talk." he responded without hesitation. "I believe a moment of hesitation may cause you a lifetime of regrets."

Wanda looked at Vision for a moment before focusing her attention on her brother. Almost as if he had read her mind, Pietro smirked and stood up. Then, he walked past Vision, and raised a hand towards Wanda when he was one arm length away from her.

"C'mon, I can get us there in a blink of an eye." he told her, and Wanda noticed he was grasping the notepad. With a small smile, she raised a hand, and entwined her fingers with her brother's. Gently, Pietro pulled Wanda closer to him before resting an arm behind her legs, grabbing her bridal-style.

The twins looked one last time at Vision before they vanished from the lounge.

Before Wanda could release the breath she had been holding, Pietro stopped in front of a closed door. Gently, her twin put her down, his hands releasing her after a few seconds. Hesitantly, Wanda looked at Pietro, who looked back at her before he offered her a smile.

"Want me to go with you?" he asked in a teasing manner, and Wanda fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I'm a big girl, I'm sure I can handle it," she responded, crossing her arms against her chest, and Pietro chuckled. Raising a hand, Pietro patted Wanda on top of her head before turning around. Wanda watched him in silence before she bit her lower lip. "Hey…"

Pietro turned to his side at her whisper, and Wanda tried to smile at him.

"Answer me this," she began, trying to look and sound calm although her heart was hammering against her chest. "How important is she to you?"

There was a moment of silence. Pietro stared at her with a blank expression on his face before he released a sigh. Calmly, he made his way towards his sister, and rested both hands on Wanda's shoulders.

"I owe her my life." Pietro told her in a low voice, his eyes locked with Wanda's. "But even if she hadn't been the one to bring me back to life… Even if she had only been there to hold my hand, she would still mean a lot to me. But nothing's more important than to see the two of you being friends again."

Wanda could feel it in his voice. She could see it in his eyes. Pietro was being straightforward and sincere with her, and her heart shook at his seriousness. Slowly, Wanda pressed a hand to her brother's cheek, and smiled softly at him.

"All right…"

Without saying anything else, Wanda dropped her hand, and turned to the door. She did not bother knocking before opening it, and was not surprised to see Sam standing close to Esther's bed. Without looking over her shoulder, Wanda walked inside the room.

"Excuse me…" she said, cautiously walking inside. Sam observed her with a guarded look on his face while Esther looked apprehensive.

"I'll leave you two alone." Sam announced without bothering to go around the bush. Wanda silently took in the way the Falcon smiled at Esther before leaving the room, but not before glancing sideways at her.

When Wanda heard the door close softly behind her, she felt a wave of nervousness crash over her shoulders. Unconsciously, she began twiddling her thumbs, her eyes slipping away from Esther's face to gaze at the window across from her position.

"I'm sorry…" Wanda's attention snapped at the apology, her eyes focusing on Esther's. "I'm really sorry…"

Wanda cleared her throat before making her way towards the bed.

"How's your head?" she decided to ask, and Esther smiled faintly at her before raising a hand towards her temple.

"I'm good. Pietro saved me from causing a bigger mess. The painkillers are doing their job, so everything's all right."

Wanda licked her lips before taking a deep breath. After scratching her forehead, Wanda crossed her arms against her chest. Then, she saw Esther motioning for her to sit down, and Wanda nodded before doing so.

"I've read…" Wanda paused, and looked at the physician. "I've read your notepad."

"Oh…"

"I'm sorry." Wanda continued as Esther looked down at her own hands. "I just… I understand now you were following orders. I know now I was wrong to hate you, but… When I found out about what you did only to discover Pietro in your room, I… I just lost it."

"It's okay."

"No, it's not okay." Wanda corrected her, shaking her head as she spoke. "Agent Barton told me it's inexcusable for me to use my power against a civilian. But when I understood you had kept everything a secret from me… When I understood you had kept Pietro a secret from me, I just… I just couldn't forgive you."

Wanda glanced down at her hands, and observed as her power licked her fingers before making it vanish.

"I nearly hated you."

"I wouldn't blame you if you still did." Esther promptly told her, and Wanda tried to smile, but all she managed was a grimace. Her eyes widened as plates, though, when Esther shifted forward, and rested a hand on her shoulder. "All I ask you is to believe me when I say I never, ever, intended to hurt you. I truly believed I would be able to do my job without getting too close, but then I met you, and Pietro woke up, and then…"

Esther paused, and shook her head.

"Before I knew it, everything was this huge mess, and I just didn't know what to do."

Silence settled. Esther was looking down while Wanda was observing the physician's hand on her arm. Before she knew it, Wanda let out a giggle that exploded into a laughing fit. Esther raised her head in confusion, but soon was laughing as well, most likely as a reaction to Wanda's own laughter.

"We sound like two women who got into a fight over a man." Wanda laughed, hand pressing her stomach, and Esther chuckled.

"In a way, isn't that what we did?"

"Ew, gross. Should I remind you it's my brother we're talking about?" Wanda complained, and Esther snorted before laughing out loud. The two girls laughed for a few more minutes before they finally quieted down. "It's been a long time since I've laughed like this."

"Oh, I know what you mean." Esther told her with a small smile, and Wanda turned to look at her. "I rather prefer this than the big fight I was dreading, though."

"Yeah, I guess my behavior didn't really help…" Wanda said in a rather apologetic tone, and Esther shook her head. Without missing a beat, Wanda reached out, and grabbed both Esther's hands. "I never thanked you for what did you."

"I was just doing my job."

"By the way Pietro talks about you, I am willing to bet you did much more than just your job." Wanda pointed out, inwardly noticing the shade of pink that captured Esther's pale cheeks. "However, I must thank you for everything you did. You… By the way Pietro talks about you, I am sure you saved his life."

"Oh no, Doctor Cho did quite a lot before asking for me…"

"Still it was you who wrote every single note and every single doubt in your notepad, weren't you?" Wanda inquired, "You were genuinely concerned about Pietro, and I could see your worry in every word you wrote down, so… Thank you. Thank you for taking care of my brother."

Esther smiled as she looked down at their joined hands, and tenderly squeezed Wanda's fingers.

"I am sorry for everything I made you go through, I just—"

"Enough apologies," Wanda interrupted her with a light shake of her head. "For now on let's focus on staying together and help Pietro get better."

Esther smiled widely at that. However, before she could say a word, the door of the room was opened after a brief knock. Both girls looked in direction of the door, and were surprised to find Doctor Helen Cho standing there, a grave look on her face.

Wanda felt Esther squeezing her hands, and dread filled her stomach. Something was about to happen. Wanda just wished she knew what.

* * *

"Here's the man of the moment!"

Pietro looked up at the familiar voice, and a white smiled graced his face when he recognized the newcomer. Without even blinking, he stood up from the chair, and pulled Clint to a one-arm hug.

"Agent Barton!" he greeted white tapping Clint on the back, only to feel the older man do the same before stepping backwards. "What brings you here?"

"Well, we didn't really have the opportunity to chat when you showed up at my place." Clint told him before motioning for Pietro to sit down. He did the same, and Pietro could not wipe the smile off his face as he occupied his previous seat. "I know Laura thanked you, but I… I wanted to thank you too."

"You don't have too."

"Oh but I do. If you hadn't pushed me away…" Clint clasped his hands as he rested his elbows on his legs. "You gave up your life so that the boy and I could live. I… That's not something I'm ever going to forget."

"I know you didn't see that coming." Pietro tried to tease, but the words that spilled from his mouth turned something on in his brain. Puckering his eyebrow, Pietro tried not to wince when the sound of an explosion screamed at his ears.

"I certainly didn't, and that's something I won't ever be able to repay you." Clint told him, his voice mixing with the deafening noise that was beginning to swirl around Pietro. "I owe you my life."

"Nah, you…" Pietro tried to focus on the man in front of him, "You don't owe me anything."

Pietro looked down at his knees at Clint's silence. The sound of bullets flying around him filled his senses, consuming all of his attention. Even though he knew it was just memories, Pietro did not seem to find something to focus on. He was slowly being dragged back to his past.

"You okay?" Clint asked all of a sudden, but all Pietro could hear was the way his heart was beating rapidly against his ears. He could feel sweat on both his hands and forehead, and Pietro unconsciously closed his hands into fists. "Pietro…"

The sound of the bullets being discharged from the Quinjet nearly caused Pietro to let out a growl of anguish. Instead, Pietro closed his eyes really hard, gritting his teeth as he struggled to control the pain that he was feeling all over his body.

"Hey!" Clint seemed to be screaming, but Pietro would have ignored him if the older Avenger had not rested a hand on his shoulder. Opening his eyes in surprise, Pietro turned his head in Clint's direction, drops of sweat rolling down his temples. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I…" Pietro cleared his throat, and tried to hold on to that brief glimpse of the present. Clint's hand on his shoulder was the bridge between his memories and reality, and Pietro held onto to it as hard as he could. "Sorry, I… I was having a moment…"

"A flashback?" Clint questioned, and Pietro paused before nodding. Without bothering to hide his discomfort, Pietro ran the back of his hand through his forehead, taking a deep breath as he did. The sounds of the war he had lived through began to fade away, leaving only a familiar ache behind. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm good…" Pietro responded, wincing at his weak voice. "I was just… I'm good."

"You know, Steve talked to me about your training." Clint commented, and Pietro had to hold back a groan. "I know how hard it is to go back to fighting after losing so much."

"Are you here to tell me to give up?" Pietro asked before he could stop himself, and Clint smirked at his attitude.

"No, I'm actually here to tell you not to give up." the older Avenger pointed out, and Pietro blinked at that. "However, I am also here to tell you that you should talk to Steve about what happened to you. He is, without a doubt, the best person you could confide in."

"Why is it that everyone wants me to talk when I should be training?" Pietro inquired, a hint of annoyance in his voice. "I can't face my demons in a conversation. I'm better at fighting them."

"How can you physically attack them when they're here?" Clint inquired, pointing a finger in direction of Pietro's chest, right over his heart. "You cannot fight them like you'd fight an opponent. If you talk to Steve, I'm sure he'll be able to give you an advice or two on how to react when the memories become too suffocating."

"I honestly don't get you guys. You bring me back because you want me to become an Avenger, but then you refuse to let me participate in missions because you think I might be going crazy."

"I don't think you're going crazy." Clint corrected him, "I think you need to find your balance. That's where Steve walks in." Pietro parted his lips to speak, but Clint continued. "I know you think Doctor Lewis will be able to help you, but the truth is… Your physician and your sister didn't go through what you did. Steve did. Why don't you give him a chance?"

"You want Captain America to be my shrink?" Pietro inquired, and Clint shrugged his shoulders.

"If you want to put it that way, then yes." he answered, "Think about it; how many people can say they have Captain America as their personal psychiatrist?"

"I think you'd be a very good psychiatrist." Pietro pointed out, and Clint chuckled at that.

"Yeah, well, I gotta keep my sanity for the three bundles of energy I've got waiting for me at home." he responded, and Pietro smiled at that. "I do think you and Wanda are like my children, though, with you most certainly being the troublemaker."

"Trust me; Wanda's just good at hiding her mischievous side."

"Of that I have no doubt." Clint agreed with a short nod. "Perhaps that's why I can't help but want to see both of you well."

Silence followed that confession, and Pietro looked eyes with Clint. A small smile graced his features as he stared at the older man before he rested a hand on Clint's shoulder.

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a way with words?" he asked, finally drawing laughter out of Clint.

"Being a father has that effect." he laughed. "Besides, you can always come to me if you think Steve can't handle you."

"Oh, you think you can handle me, old man?" Pietro asked as he raised an eyebrow in suspicion, and Clint smirked.

"Bring it on, Quicksilver."

"You've seen nothing yet." Pietro began, but he stopped talking when the sound of footsteps echoed from behind him. Looking over his shoulder, Pietro watched as Doctor Cho emerged at the end of the hallway. Something stirred inside of him when the doctor reached the door that led to Esther's room.

"Gentlemen…" Doctor Cho greeted with a short nod, her eyes going from Clint to Pietro. Clint was the only one to greet her back since Pietro was far too preoccupied in observing Helen. Without saying anything else, Helen turned to the door, and opened it.

The way she refused to meet Pietro's gaze made the young man's insides twist and turn.

 _I may not know for how long I'll be able to watch your growth, but I am certain you will do great things, Pietro. All you need to do is believe in yourself._ Esther's voice echoed in Pietro's mind, and apprehension consumed his veins.

 _What? What do you mean; you don't know for how long you'll be here? Are they planning to send you somewhere?_

"You've got to be kidding me…" Pietro whispered to himself before his senses were once again drowned by Esther's voice.

 _That is a possibility, yes. I was asked to help you with your recovery, and you have improved at a surprising rate. I believe that soon they won't need me here anymore._

"What's wrong?" Clint inquired, and Pietro turned to him.

"I think they may be planning on sending Esther away." he explained. "And I can't let that happen."

 **To Be Continued…**


	19. Chapter XIX

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing except for the Original Characters.

* * *

Everyone, I'm alive, and I'm back with a new chapter! Things are finally in motion! The ending is near! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

* * *

 **Chapter XIX**

 _There's not gonna be a safe landing, but I can try and force it down._

 _I'll-I'll get Howard on the line. He'll know what to do._

 _There's not enough time. This thing's moving too fast and it's heading for New York. I gotta put her in the water._ _  
_

 _Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out._

 _Right now I'm in the middle of nowhere. If I wait any longer a lot of people are gonna die. Peggy, this is my choice. Peggy..._

 _I'm here._

 _I'm gonna need a rain check on that dance._

 _All right. A week next Saturday at The Stork Club._

 _You've got it._

 _Eight o'clock on the dot. Don't you dare be late. Understood?_

 _You know, I still don't know how to dance._

 _I'll show you how. Just be there._

 _We'll have the band play something slow._ _I'd hate to step on your..._

"Hey, you okay?"

Steve snapped from his dream, his eyes widening in surprise. He immediately looked over his shoulder. It did not really surprise him when he spotted Natasha leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed against her chest.

Slowly, Natasha straightened up, and quietly made her way towards the sofa Steve was occupying.

"Were you sleeping?" she asked, a hint of tease in her voice, but Steve knew she was just trying to get him to loosen up. Rolling his shoulders, Steve sat up straight, his fingers pressing his nose for a moment.

"No, I was just…" Steve paused, the image of a beautiful woman with red lips fading to the back of his mind. "I was just thinking about something."

"Hmm… Agent Carter?" Natasha inquired as she leaned against the back of the sofa, arms still folded against her chest. Steve glanced at her, and Natasha shrugged. "I figured it might be. Quicksilver's miracle threw us all off guard."

"Even you?"

Natasha hesitated. Steve could see vacillation clear in her eyes, in her posture. Still, before he could speak, Natasha surprised him when she nodded.

"Even me," she said, her voice dropping a bit. A small, cheerless smile graced her features. "Of course if you ever say anything regarding our current conversation, I'll have to kill you, so…"

"Whatever you tell me, it will stay between us." Steve reassured her, though he knew he did not have to. They did share a special bond, after everything they had gone through. "I'm sure Doctor Banner will show up before you know it."

"Yeah, I'm still waiting for that postcard…" Natasha told him, looking away for a moment. Then, she let out a sigh. "You know, I actually thought we'd create something together. We actually spoke about it… Us having… You know, a family; just the two of us."

"That's a nice thought." Steve told her with a ghost of a smile, which Natasha returned before shrugging one shoulder.

"It's a nice thought indeed."

"Hey, who's to say you won't be able to do it?" Steve asked, resting a hand on Natasha's forearm. The assassin looked down at it before gazing up, her eyes quickly finding Steve's. "Don't give up on him, Natasha. He will be back before you know it."

"Oh don't worry about me; I've been training to kick his ass; green or otherwise." Natasha added as an afterthought, and this time Steve actually chuckled at her comment. "What about you? Are your memories bothering you?"

"It's as you said; Quicksilver's return really did a number on us." Steve confessed, crossing his arms against his chest. "And when Director Fury told me I should act like his psychologist… It's just been a little harder to put some things aside."

"Some things shouldn't be put aside." Natasha told him, leaning a bit forward. "A friend of mine taught me that."

"You have wise friends."

"They aren't so bad." Natasha promptly told him with a smirk, "Could be worse."

"Guys, I think we have a situation." both Steve and Natasha turned their heads to see Clint walk inside, a serious expression on his face.

"What happened?" Steve inquired when Clint reached Natasha's side.

"You need to go talk to Pietro." Clint said all of a sudden, eyes locked with Captain America. Steve blinked at that. "He told me you're supposed to be his psychiatrist. I'm sure you've realized he's not dealing with what happened to him properly."

"Yeah, I'm still working on that." Steve confessed with a short nod, and Clint crossed his arms against his chest. Natasha frowned, silently taking in her friend's posture.

"What's the matter?" she asked, and Clint gazed at her.

"He's not focused." Hawkeye informed both of them, posture rigid, facial expression severe. "In fact, I'm sure he won't be focused until you help him deal with a problem concerning a certain doctor."

"Doctor Lewis." Steve elaborated, and Clint nodded.

"I know Wanda has already spoken to Doctor Lewis and they've finally buried the hatchet."

"Well, that's one less problem to worry about." Natasha mumbled, shrugging her shoulders lightly. Clint looked at her, and shook his head.

"The thing is I'm not sure if keeping Doctor Lewis around will be good for Pietro." he confessed, surprising Steve, who raised both his eyebrows. Natasha blinked at that, and Clint continued. "He won't be as focused as he should. Pietro believes Doctor Lewis will be an essential part for his progress, but I don't think that's the case. Now, don't get me wrong; Doctor Lewis helped him a lot – she was the one who nursed him back to health, after all – but Pietro needs to start focusing on getting better on the field."

"And Doctor Lewis won't be in the field." Natasha pointed out without missing a beat, and Clint nodded in agreement.

"If she stays here, Pietro will be far more interested in being by her side." he said. "True, he wants to go out for missions, but his mind is here, and it shouldn't be. He should be focused in trying to fight his inner demons and not in keeping his doctor close by."

"What do you think we should do?" Steve asked, without moving from his spot. When Clint let out a sigh, the Captain widened his eyes a bit, grasping the silent response. "You want to send her away."

"Not forever." Clint immediately replied, "Just until Pietro gets better. Then we may ask Doctor Cho to send her back or something."

"And how do you propose we do that?" Natasha questioned. "If Wanda and Doctor Lewis have indeed held out the olive branch, then you most certainly don't have your work cut out for you."

"Actually, I think Cho may be planning on sending Doctor Lewis away." Clint pointed out, and when he noticed the look on his friends' faces, he continued. "I was with Pietro when Wanda went to visit Doctor Lewis. Doctor Cho showed up, and Pietro was adamant that she wanted to send his physician away."

"Well, let's wait and see what Cho has in store for Doctor Lewis. If push comes to shove, Steve here may always try to figure out what to do." Natasha commented, and the blonde man rolled his eyes.

"Why am I always the one jumping in front of the train?" he asked, and Natasha smirked.

"You're Captain America."

Clint shook his head, and Steve rolled his eyes.

* * *

She was having a panic attack. Her heart was racing. Her hands felt numb while her whole body felt faint. The sense of terror was clouding her mind as she gradually lost control over everything. Her teeth were worrying her lower lip, and the arm she was pressing against her chest shook as she waited for the door in front of her to open.

When it finally did, she nearly dropped the documents she had pressed against her breast.

As she tried to ignore the lump in her throat, Esther stepped inside Doctor Helen Cho's office. Helen's secretary had informed her that the doctor was absent, but that Esther was allowed to wait inside.

As she took a deep breath in, Esther tried to keep her head high as she stepped inside. The door closed silently behind her, making it impossible for Esther to escape. Not that she wanted to, of course, but Esther certainly hated feeling like she was trapped.

Without wanting to dwell on her thoughts for too long, Esther made her way to Helen's desk. The sun was peeking at the horizon, welcoming the clear skies with timid beams of light. And to think she had spent most of the previous night with Wanda, chatting about everything and nothing in particular.

Esther felt her shoulders drop as she thought of Wanda and Pietro. Her heart clenched in her chest, a constant reminder of what was about to happen.

Running a hand through her hair, Esther walked around Helen's desk, and placed her documents close to the keyboard. Helen had a stack of documents placed neatly on one of the sides, and Esther's eyes roamed through them. Her breath got stuck on her throat at the title displayed on top of the first document.

 _GH.325 Serum._

"GH.325…" Esther muttered to herself, looking away as she struggled to remember why the name sounded so familiar. Her mind took her back to all the reports she had studied when she had first become aware of Pietro's condition. She had scribbled something… She had taken note of something related to that serum…

Closing her eyes, Esther tried to remember what. Then, her eyes snapped open, and she stared at the document again.

GH.325 serum! That had been the exam Doctor Cho had executed, and that Esther had never truly understood. At the time, she had been curious, but with Pietro's awakening, Esther had completely forgotten about it.

The scientist inside of her ached to find out about it, and Esther shifted closer to the said document. With her heart in her throat, Esther picked the document, and involuntarily bit her lower lip.

"The GH.325 is a drug known to endorse cellular growth that can be used to heal critical conditions and, in some cases, even revive the recently deceased." Esther read out loud, her free hand pressed against her sternum. "In the four known cases of the drug's use, there was no detectable trace of the drug's presence in the patient's body immediately following the period of recovery, making it difficult to properly research the drug's exact effects or to replicate it."

Esther stopped reading, frowning as her brain processed the whole information.

"What?" Esther breathed out, her eyes glancing at the paragraphs that followed what she had just read. Her mouth dropped when her eyes found a familiar name. "Jemma Simmons…"

There was a pause. Her panic attack returned, and Esther nearly dropped the papers.

"Jemma?" Esther repeated, but before she could continue with her reading, the door of the office opened up. Helen's voice reached her ears, and Esther struggled to put the document back to its rightful place just as Helen stepped inside.

"What are you doing?" the older doctor asked, and Esther swallowed hard at same time she tried to compose herself.

"I wasn't sure where I was supposed to put my reports." Esther replied, her throat dry, her heart hammering against her rib cage. Immediately, she stepped backwards, away from the desk, her sweaty hands clasped in front of her legs. "I apologize."

Helen studied her for a moment before walking around the desk, analyzing each and every inch of it as she moved. Quickly, Esther made her way around the desk so that she was facing the window again. Helen locked eyes with her seconds later.

"Do you have any questions about what's going to happen?"

"I'm to leave, and wait for further information." Esther told her, recalling their quite fast conversation the night before. Helen continued staring at her, and Esther forced her lungs to take a deep breath. "I'm also… I'm also not supposed to contact anyone."

"You are to cut all of your connections with the Avengers until further notice." Helen immediately said, and Esther felt all little air she had managed to breathe in fade away. Helen started moving some papers around, but stopped when Esther did not say anything. Slowly, she straightened up, one document in her hands. "I know this isn't going to be easy, but the order came straight from Director Fury himself."

"I…I understand." Esther said, her chest feeling heavy, her hands feeling clammy. Helen looked down at the paper in her hand before taking a deep breath.

"You can't tell Quicksilver either." Helen continued. "You know why, don't you?"

"You want him to focus on overcoming his fear so that he may start participating in missions." Esther responded as if she had rehearsed that answer over and over in her mind. Which she had, but Esther was not going to admit it out loud. "He needs to become an Avenger."

"I talked to Director Fury, and I've found a new position for you." Helen declared, catching Esther off guard. The doctor surprised her by handing her a particular document. Esther did not need to look at it to know what it was about. "This is another classified mission. One, I'm sure, you'll be quite happy about."

Esther looked down at the document, the words _GH.325 serum_ mocking her for a moment. Helen continued.

"You're going to work with your cousin."

She was going to work with Jemma.

"You're to leave this afternoon."

"What?" Esther breathed out before she could stop herself, her eyes turning to the older doctor. Helen crossed her arms against her chest.

"Director's orders."

So that's how things went. They invited her to participate in a life-changing mission she would never be allowed to breathe a word about to anyone, and now she was supposed to leave. Just like that. Like she had never existed in the first place…

Esther felt her heart crack, but she still managed to keep a straight posture as she faced the doctor in front of her.

"All right…" she breathed out, hoping Helen had not caught the tremble in her voice. "I'll gather my things, and then… I hum… I'll leave."

"You'll receive new orders soon." Helen told her, and Esther forced herself to nod. Feeling unable to breath, Esther turned around, and almost ran away from the office. Helen's voice, however, stopped her from fleeing the room.

"It was a pleasure working with you, Doctor Lewis." Helen said when Esther looked over her shoulder. "Thank you for watching over Quicksilver. He'll be in good hands."

Esther nodded in response, no longer trusting herself to speak. Without bothering to say goodbye, Esther left the office, and rushed towards the main doors of the building. When the wind hit her face, Esther stopped walking, and tried to breathe in.

Tears followed.

As she lost all strength, Esther fell to her knees, hands on her face. She was still holding the document Helen had handed her, the smell of the paper mixing with the saltiness of her tears. A scream bubbled from her core, but Esther managed to hold it in.

 _What if I ask you to stay?_

 _Esther… I don't want you to go._

 _I've got her back, Captain, don't worry._

 _Will you stay with me?_

"Esther?"

The physician nearly cried out when Pietro called out from behind her. He was the last person she wanted to see on that moment, but his footsteps indicated he was walking around her. A sob escaped from her lips when his fingers wrapped around her wrists, gently prying her hands away from her face.

Tears spilled down her cheeks when her eyes met Pietro's worried ones.

"What's the matter?"

Esther took in a shaky breath, her whole body quivering under his concerned gaze. Unsteadily, she managed to press her hands on both his cheeks, feeling the way his stubble caressed her skin.

How was she supposed to let him go?

How was she supposed to go without saying goodbye?

"Pietro…" she gasped, her lungs burning for air. "Pietro… Pietro…"

"I'm here." he whispered, releasing her wrists so that he could pull her head to his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her, and Esther barely realized he was running. Her hair fluttered around, but she managed to keep her grip on his face light although all she wanted was to pull him close.

When the world stopped flashing around her, Esther noticed they were surrounded by trees. Gently, Pietro sat down on the ground, with Esther on his lap.

"Esther…" Pietro's voice caressed her neck, and she felt more tears blurring her vision. Chewing on her lower lip, Esther moved so that her eyes could meet his, and she unconsciously stroked his lower lip with a thumb. "What's wrong?"

How was she supposed to just leave him? He would hate her.

She would hate herself.

"Kiss me."

Esther only realized what she had just said when she saw Pietro's eyes widen. Her heart was crushing her insides, her whole body was shaking, but all Esther could see was Pietro's clear eyes.

There was no turning back. There could be no turning back.

"W-What?"

Esther once again bit her lower lip, and tried to ignore the way Pietro followed that movement with his eyes. She had no idea of what she was supposed to do with her hands, so she simply continued cradling Pietro's face with her fingers.

She wanted to memorize all of him.

"Please…" she begged, their faces shifting closer so that she could feel Pietro's breath on her cheeks. Closing her eyes, she tried to memorize his scent. "Please…"

All of a sudden, she felt Pietro's warm hands on her skin, and Esther opened her eyes. All she saw were Pietro's darkened eyes before his lips met hers.

Tears fell as time stopped.

 **To Be Continued…**


	20. Chapter XX

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing aside from the plot and unknown characters.

* * *

So, I have returned with a new chapter. We're getting close to the end! I hope everyone likes what I have in store for you! Thank you for all of your support and help!

* * *

 **Chapter XX**

She felt warm.

There were two strong hands holding her; one on her cheek, the other teasing the skin by her side, underneath her shirt. There was a scorching breathe caressing her face as hot lips devoured hers in a silent dance. Or it would have been a quiet waltz if he did not keep drawing moans from the back of her throat.

He was pressed tight against her, the fingers of her right hand lost in his light tresses while her left hand was feeling the muscles of his shoulder twitch and pull beneath her palm. She had no idea when she had rested her right leg around his. Heck, she could not even remember how they had made it back to her bedroom.

All Esther could think about was the burning body pressing against her own. She could sense Pietro's power teasing her skin as he unhurriedly pulled her shirt upwards in an uncharacteristic slow motion. It was almost as if he was teasing her, but Esther did not care. She always enjoying the view of his naked torso, and was embarrassed to notice how faultless he was as opposition to her.

All of a sudden, Pietro sat down on his knees, gently pulling Esther with him. His hands met the hem of her shirt, and Esther felt herself turn red at the question look on his face. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod, and Pietro surprised her with an affectionate smile.

It was only when she felt his knuckles tease her sides as he pulled the shirt upwards, covering her face, that Esther was assaulted by glimpses of her last conversation with Doctor Helen Cho.

If Pietro felt her freeze, he did not show it. Instead, he carefully took her shirt, and threw it aside. He moved forward, and stole another kiss from her, nearly wiping away her thoughts.

"What are you thinking about?" Pietro asked after a few seconds, his lips going from her lips to her jaw, and Esther closed her eyes. She pressed a hand to the back of his head, and motioned for him to raise his head again.

This time, it was Esther who attacked his lips.

Tears began to prickle the side of her eyes as she kissed him, feeling his tongue teasing hers, and drawing a moan of delight from her heart.

She could not let Pietro continue.

 _She_ could not continue. Not when she was about to leave. Pietro would definitely hate her if she allowed for that to happen.

"Pietro…" Esther groaned in surprise when he leaned forward, making her lean backwards so that her back met the bed. He pulled her right knee up before resting his elbows on her sides. Pietro continued to kiss her, leaving a hot trail down her throat before making his way upwards again.

Esther closed her hands into fists, and tried to take a deep breath in. She wanted to memorize all of him, yes, but not like that. That was wrong no matter how right it felt.

"Please…" when his lips meet hers in a gentle kiss, a tear rolled down her eye, landing on the pillow. "Stop…"

She felt him freeze.

When Pietro broke the kiss and looked at her in the eye, Esther knew he could see the tears. Immediately, he sat up straight on the bed, looking both concerned and befuddled. Esther took a few seconds to calm her heart down before she also sat down on the mattress.

"I'm sorry…" Pietro began to say, and he looked so troubled that Esther could not help but let out a shaky laugh. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she shook her head, and she unconsciously pressed her knees to her legs.

"No, please, it's not you…" Esther tried to say between sobs. To think that just a minute ago she had been about to give herself to him consequences be damned! "I just… I just can't… I can't do this…"

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to force you…" Pietro began, but Esther cut him off.

"Heavens, you didn't force me, Pietro, if anything, I put myself in this situation." she told him before noticing the hurt that crossed his eyes, and Esther quickly continued. "But I do want this. I…"

Esther finally realized her current dressing state, and turned beet red. Pietro, probably noticing her discomfort, reached out for the first t-shirt he found. None of them commented that the t-shirt he handed her was his own.

Esther looked down at the t-shirt in her hands, and put it on. It was only then that she turned to Pietro, and shifted closer to him. Without thinking, Esther reached out for his hands, and took a deep breath.

"Pietro, no matter what, this…" Esther was embarrassed, but she still motioned to the bed with her head. "Although certainly not planned, I… If it was you, I…What I mean to say is…"

She was rambling, and also failing miserably in expressing her thoughts.

"You know I have to leave." Esther tried once again, after a deep breath. Pietro tensed up at her words, but Esther decided to focus her attention on his hands as she spoke. "I can't… We can't…Not when I'm leaving. It wouldn't be fair..."

"I want you to stay." Pietro finally spoke up with such intensity that Esther looked up at him in surprise. She felt his grip on her hands amplify, but refused to break the eye-contact. "I want you to stay with me."

Her heart cracked.

"I don't want to go." Esther confessed before licking her lips. "But I've got orders."

"Who cares about orders?" Pietro suddenly released her hands, and stood up from the bed. He began to pace. "I want you here! I don't care what people think! You're my doctor!"

Pietro was moving back and forth so fast Esther was afraid he would create a hole on the floor. Without thinking twice, she practically jumped from the bed, and stood in front of him.

"That's also one of the reasons why this can't happen." Esther told him, motioning to the two of them with a hand. "If I stay here as your doctor, we can't—"

"Then stay here as my…!" Pietro hesitated, his angry eyes locked with hers. Esther held her breath as she waited for him to finish the sentence. Why that seemed so important on that moment she did not know or cared. Pietro pulled his lips into a thin line and threw a hand to his hair, "Stay here as my friend!"

For some reason, those words created another crack in her heart.

Esther closed her eyes, and tried to hold back the downhearted smile that appeared on her lips. Her nose burnt as tears formed underneath her closed eyelids. Trying to take a deep breath, Esther felt her whole body shake before she opened her eyes again.

They did not even know what they were. How could they do that?

"I have to go." she forced herself to say, clearing her throat before speaking. "I wasn't even supposed to be here, right now. I was told to not even speak to you."

"Well, your orders so far have been absolutely great!" Esther winced at the unexpected blow. Pietro threw his arms in the air, digging the fingers of his right hand in his hair as he turned to the side. "Damn it, Esther!"

Esther pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to hold back the tears. How had they come to that? Everything had been going so well, and now everything was falling apart. She was going to leave with all this pain between them, and that was hurting her beyond words.

"Pietro, everything I've done so far, I did…"

"Just leave."

The words she had prepared to say died in her lips. Esther felt her heart shatter by her feet as Pietro turned his back to her, his arms now crossed against his chest. She tried to breath, but her lungs refused to cooperate. Her feet were firmly planted on the floor, her legs refusing the budge.

"Pietro, please, don't do this…" Esther begged in a faint voice, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I don't want to leave like this…"

He did not answer. A tear rolled down her cheek, and Esther ran the tip of her tongue through her lips. She parted her lips, forcing her lugs to cooperate and draw a long breath. Then, she dropped her gaze.

"I'm sorry…" she murmured, and after closing her eyes for a few seconds more, she did the only thing she could. Ignoring the way her body was aching to touch him, Esther walked past Pietro, and abandoned her bedroom.

She had barely walked five steps when Sam walked out of his bedroom, and Esther nearly bumped into him.

"Whoa there!" Sam exclaimed, his hands meeting her shoulders so that there could be a safe distance between them. "What's going…? Oi, why are you crying?"

Esther raised a hand to her cheek at the question, and dropped her gaze when she felt the warm moisture against her fingertips. More tears began to roll down her cheeks as her shoulders shook, but before Esther could drop to her knees, Sam pressed a hand to her face.

Esther could see the way Sam was studying her attire, his eyes sliding in direction of Pietro's room before focusing on her again.

"What the hell…?"

"Sam, I… I have to leave…" Esther heard herself say as she felt him wipe away a stray tear with his thumb. "I don't… I can't…" Esther tried to take a shaky breath in, and proceed. "Can you…?"

"You have to leave?" Sam repeated, and when the doctor nodded, an expression of understanding reflected in his face. "Doctor Cho…"

Esther pulled her lips into a thin line, her mind a mess of thoughts and raw emotions. Unconsciously, she wiped the tears away from her other cheek, and cleared her throat.

"I have my orders." she managed to say before looking down. Her eyes met Pietro's t-shirt, and she felt her heart quiver. "I hum… I was just saying goodbye, though I wasn't really supposed to, and I… Now, I just…"

"Do you want me to go with you?" Sam interrupted her with a soft tone, and Esther shook her head.

"No, that's okay."

"You might find yourself in a restricted area if you go alone."

Sam's words, so completely out of the blue, ended up having the opposite result he was expecting. A shaky smile did grace Esther's face before it was replaced by a sob, which was quickly followed by new tears.

Sam's panic was obvious as he struggled to calm her down, his arms going around her as he pulled Esther into a hug. As they stood there in the middle of the hallway with Sam resting a hand on top of Esther's head as the doctor leaned her forehead against his shoulder, no one noticed it. No one sensed the other person as he stood by the door of his bedroom with a fist pressed against the wall, his blue eyes blazing with fire, his expression resolute.

* * *

"I want to train." Pietro announced as he marched inside the lounge area, interrupting the quiet conversation Steve was having with Natasha. Both Avengers looked his way, Steve confused while Natasha looked amused, "Right now."

"What brought this up?" Steve asked as he slowly stood up from the sofa, and Pietro crossed his arms against his chest.

"You told me I have to face my ghosts, so here I am. I am ready and willing to kick those ghosts to the stratosphere."

"Someone's angry." Natasha pointed out as she continued sitting on the back of the sofa, arms folded against her chest. "Does it have anything to do with the doctor who is supposed to leave today?"

While Pietro simply glared at her, Steve blinked.

"If you're like this because she's leaving—"

"I'm not." Pietro immediately interrupted him. "I want to train. You said it yourself; I won't be allowed to go out on missions until I can prove to everyone on this damned place that I'm ready. So, are you still willing to help me or not?"

"What's going on?" a voice asked from behind Quicksilver, who did not have to look behind him to know who had just walked inside the lounge. Instead he kept his eyes focused on Steve as his sister made her way to his side. "What's wrong?"

"It seems like Doctor Lewis is leaving, and someone wants to use Captain America as a punching bag." Natasha declared rather nonchalantly, and Wanda turned to her brother. Pietro felt her hand on his arm.

"Esther's leaving?" Wanda repeated, her eyes locked with her twin's face. Pietro clenched his jaw before returning his gaze. "What are you doing here?"

"My job." his words came out too strong, but Pietro did not care. The fury bubbling inside of him was crawling up his heart, quickly spreading through his body like a virus. "I'm going to the training room."

Without saying anything else, Pietro turned around, and left the lounge. Wanda watched him go before she turned to the two other adults in the room. Natasha shrugged while Steve let out a long sigh.

"Well, I guess we won't have to wait any longer for Pietro to start focusing on his training." Captain America commented, and Natasha raised an eyebrow at that.

"You don't believe that." she said, and Steve actually let his shoulders drop a little.

"No, I don't." he agreed as Wanda made her way towards them.

"What are we supposed to do?" she asked, and Steve looked up at the ceiling.

"F.R.I.D.A.Y. where's Doctor Lewis?" he asked the artificial intelligent computer system, who was prompt in offering an answer.

"Doctor Lewis has already abandoned the premises." F.R.I.D.A.Y. explained. "The Falcon decided to accompany her."

"What are you going to do?" Natasha inquired as Steve made his way towards the entrance of the lounge, but he simply looked over his shoulder.

"My job."

With those words, Steve made his way towards the training room, but was not surprised when he managed to catch up with Pietro before arriving at his destination. Surprisingly, Pietro was walking rather slowly despite his uptight posture. Steve inwardly took a deep breath in before resting a hand on the young man's shoulder.

"Hey." this time Pietro simply glanced at him, the heated expression still on his face. Steve pondered about what he should say next. "We need to talk."

"No, we don't."

"Yes, we do." Steve told him, his grip on Pietro's shoulder increasing when the younger man tried to move away. "We can't train now, not when you're like this."

"Why not? I'm focused."

"You don't think that." Steve immediately responded, and he felt Pietro's muscle tense up even more underneath the palm of his hand. "Instead of going to the training room, you should go after her."

"No, I shouldn't." Pietro replied without missing a beat, but this time Steve noticed a hint of unhappiness among all the anger. "She got orders. I wasn't even supposed to know she's leaving."

"Pietro," Steve began in a controlled tone, his eyes meeting Quicksilver's. "There's always going to be that one mistake – one big mistake – that has the power to change everything. You'd rather regret something you did than regret not doing something."

There was a pause. A flash of brown curls and bright red lips appeared in his mind's eye, but Steve managed to continue. The weight on his heart would eventually fade away.

"Believe me when I say life's short. There are things that are worth breaking the rules for." Steve told Pietro, without ever breaking the eye-contact, "Never regret anything that made you smile. Don't lose what makes you happy, not when that choice is in your hands."

"She's got orders."

"Since when do _you_ follow orders?" Steve asked him, and he saw the flash of surprise cross Pietro's eyes. "Say what you feel, do what you think is best. Give what you've got, but never…"

 _Please don't do this. W-we have time. We can work it out._

"Never regret."

There was a pause. Slowly, Steve lowered his hand from Pietro's shoulder, and offered him a small smile. Then, he crossed his arms against his chest, and motioned towards the end of the hall with his head.

"If you run, you'll be able to catch her."

A fire lit in Pietro's eyes, and Steve held back a smile. The corner of his lips only curled upwards when Pietro suddenly vanished from before him, leaving only a breath of air behind.

 **To Be Continued…**


	21. Chapter XXI

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing aside from the OC's.

* * *

 **Authoress Note:** So, I have an announcement to make: after two years, _Silver Ascension_ 's last chapter is here. Yes, you have read that correctly; this is the last chapter of _Silver Ascension_. It has been quite a ride, has it not? I am thinking about writing a sequel, which will follow Captain America: Civil War's events. However, for now I can only thank every single person who has read and reviewed this story. Thank you so much for always finding the time to let me know your thoughts and suggestions. Thank you for following this story right to the end, and for never giving up on me.

* * *

 **Chapter XXI**

The sound of a mobile-phone ringing broke through the silent night like a sharp knife. The blaring echoed throughout the entire bedroom, causing a silhouette to sit up straight in fright before reaching out for the boisterous object. A yelp escaped from the woman's lips as she lost her balance, and nearly fell of the bed as her hand silenced the phone.

"Hello?"

" _Run!"_ a voice shouted from the other side of the line, and the brunette woke up immediately. _"There's no time. Run!"_

"Jemma?" she called out as the sound of gunshots screamed at her ear, and Esther got up without delay. Without bothering to check her appearance, Esther put her sneakers on before rushing towards her office. She was still pressing the phone against her ear as she ran. Esther could hear her cousin panting on the other side of the line, and her grip on the phone amplified, "Jemma?"

" _Esther, you have to run!"_ her cousin instructed once again. _"Follow the procedures. I don't know how, but they found out about the lab."_

Esther felt her breath get stuck on her throat. Once inside her office, she rushed towards the bookshelf by the door, and picked up a rather thick book she had placed on the third shelf. After opening the book, a USB disk appeared before her eyes. Esther immediately picked it up, and grasped it tightly with her free hand.

" _Help is on the way, but you have to move!"_ Jemma told her as she ran; the exhaustion clear in her voice. _"I have to go! Please, be careful!"_

"You too!" was all Esther had time to say before the line went dead. Her heart was in her throat, the palms of her hands sweaty. She was also shaking, but Esther knew she had no time to control her panic attack. Instead, she looked at her office one last time before rushing down the hallway.

As she crossed the corridor, Esther picked up both her house keys and a kimono jacket she had thrown over the chair by the front door on the night before. Esther was panting by the time she reached her car, and practically threw herself inside, locking the doors behind her.

Her heart was hammering against her chest. Her hands were sweaty and shaky. The knot on her throat was making it so, so hard to breath. Esther knew she looked like a nightmare; she felt like a nightmare.

It took longer than Esther would have liked to start the car because she could not stop shaking. She drove down the street as fast as she could. Esther knew the fact it was dark should soothe her. Instead, it was making her feel even more panicky. Her teeth were digging on her lower lip nearly drawing blood, her eyes darting everywhere as she continued driving as fast as she could towards the safe house.

She hoped her cousin was already there. Jemma had decided to stay at the laboratory that night, which was closer to the safe house. Esther nearly closed her eyes as she thought about her cousin; Jemma's frightened voice was still ringing at her ears.

All of a sudden, a dog crossed the street, and Esther let out a gasp. She pressed the break, causing the tires to shriek into the darkness. Her hands were gripping the steering-wheel, her heart now screaming in her throat. When had her hands become so cold? Heavens, when had her whole insides started to hurt?

As she struggled to breath, Esther rested her head on the palms of her hands. Her eyes were tearing, her nose was burning… She was having a panic attack, and the worst was that Esther could not control it. All she could feel was her racing heart, the tingling in her hands, the pain in her chest.

Esther knew she needed to get to the safe house. The problem was how?

Gasping for air, Esther dropped her hands, and rested the back of her head against her seat. Then, she tried to take a deep breath in, her hands resting against the wheel again. Esther forced herself to step on the gas, and start driving again.

Esther knew she needed to leave that quiet neighbourhood as fast as possible. She could not risk those people's lives. Not if she could help it. Besides, Jemma had trusted her with half of their research. Esther could not risk having it fall on the hands of the wrong people.

She would rather die.

As she thought of that, Esther grasped the USB disk with her right hand, and tried to think of a place to hide it. In her rush to leave her house, she had left everything behind. Without thinking about her actions, Esther tried to find a safe place inside the car. It would be better to leave it there than to carry it with her. Or should she carry it with her? Damn it! She had been so stupid! Why couldn't she think straight?

Before Esther could stop herself, she thrust her hand inside her pyjamas shirt, and put the USB disk between her bra and her right breast. Esther felt her heart beating wildly against the tip of her fingers before she dropped her hand.

Turning left, Esther tried to recall how long it would take her to reach the safe house. All of a sudden, bright lights appeared on her rear-view mirror, causing her breath to get stuck on her throat. Unconsciously, she increased her speed, her eyes glancing at the rear-view mirror frequently as she saw the bright lights getting closer.

An intersection came into view, and Esther bit her lower lip. Esther turned right as fast as she could, and a gasp abandoned her lips when she saw a couple crossing the streets. Jerking the wheel to the side, Esther felt the car sway as she tried to avoid the couple, who screamed in surprise. Esther nearly bumped into a street light, but avoided it by jerking the wheel to the opposite side. The car swayed, and for a moment Esther thought she was going to crash. Thankfully, she managed to stay in control despite her alarmed mind.

However, before Esther could breathe in relief, a new set of lights appeared in front of her. Esther's eyes widened in horror when she realised the SUV was coming right towards her. Without thinking twice, she turned the wheel, and went to the opposite line, all the while ignoring the fact she was driving on the wrong side of the road.

That was when another SUV emerged from the left, coming from another road, and this time Esther had no time to react. The SUV rammed straight into her car, pushing towards the opposite side of the street. Esther thought she heard herself scream as the door dug into her side and the airbag in front of her exploded. Esther barely registered the glass that was flying around her before her body jerked to the side as her car crashed into the vendor's stand on the sidewalk.

Then, as soon as it had started it ended. Esther felt more than saw the SUV move backwards, her car swaying at the loss of support. A groan escaped from her throat as Esther realised she could not move her left leg. Panic began to settle as Esther realised she was trapped.

All of a sudden, a man dressed in black appeared at her door, and pointed a gun at her. Esther tried to move, to do more than just to blink as she stared dizzily at the man, but she was trapped. Her seatbelt had her strapped tightly against the seat, and with her leg stuck, Esther knew there was no way she was getting out of that alive.

The man said something, but his voice came out muffled due to her ringing ears. Esther tried to speak, but her raw throat made it so, so hard to even part her lips. Her arms felt like led, which was probably a good thing because Esther knew she would have unconsciously reach out for the USB disk, unwillingly showing him where it was.

A barrel of the gun appeared right in front of her eyes, but Esther barely reacted to it. The adrenaline was wearing off, and the pain was becoming incredibly hard to bear.

"I…" Esther struggled to speak, but her breath got stuck on her throat when she did. Unconsciously, she closed her right hand into a fist, and tried to force her lungs to work. She was not going to give them the USB disk. She was not going to give them any sort of answer.

She would rather die to betray her loved ones.

Esther could swear she heard the murmur of the gun as the man got ready to shot her. Still, she managed to keep her eyes on him. If she was going to die, at least she would do so without giving up.

Then, the unexplained happened. In a blink of an eye, the man vanished in thin air. Esther could hear a gun fire behind her, a melody that roared in her ears, causing her to wince.

Whining, Esther tried to get free, but a sob escaped from her lips when she realised she was going to die inside of her car. She had failed… She had failed…

" _Esther!"_ a voice shouted from afar, but the doctor ignored it as pain blinded her senses. A man appeared by her door again, and she tried to let out a sound as she realised someone else had come back to finish the job. "Esther, it's me!"

Her vision was failing her. Esther looked to her side, but all she saw was black. She could not even recognise the person that was talking to her. Who were they? Her ears were no longer functioning properly, and she could swear her eyes were dropping.

"No, Esther! Don't fall asleep! Wake up!"

Esther could hear the orders really softly, like a lullaby. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she knew who the voice belonged to. Perhaps that was why she no longer felt scared. Instead, all she wanted was for the pain to go away.

Her head shifted, her eyes closed.

"Esther! Esther, wake up!"

Esther could feel someone trying to open the door next to her, but that was the last thing she felt before darkness took her.

* * *

There was a beeping sound humming at the distance. It was constant, and it echoed in the darkness, awakening her senses one by one. First, she breathed in. Then, her eyelids fluttered open a few times before closing again. Her arms tried to follow the movement of her chest as her lungs seemed to wake up, but at same time she felt so, so tired.

Suddenly, something warm touched her. The beeping sound became louder. Her eyelids fought against her exhaustion, and after what seemed like an eternity she was finally capable of opening her eyes. The first thing she saw was the soft glow of a light on the wall in front of her before her eyes dropped closed again.

"Esther?"

She nearly let out a groan when a voice broke the melody of the beeping tune. Although tender and low, it was like a knife cutting through the otherwise silent moment she was enjoying. Unconsciously, she moved her head in direction of the voice, and forced her eyes to open again.

For a moment, everything was nebulous.

"How are you feeling?"

Esther narrowed her eyes as she waited for her vision to clear. She closed her eyes for a second before taking a deep breath. Pain erupted from her lungs as she did, and a groan escaped from her scratchy throat.

Something warm landed softly on her stomach.

"Easy there. You can't strain yourself."

Suddenly, her mind remembered.

"…Sam?"

"Ah, it's good to see you haven't forgotten about me!"

Esther forced her body to awaken as she stared at the man sitting next to her. It took her a few seconds to realise she was lying on a bed, the so characteristic scent of a hospital assaulting her nostrils as she tried to take a deep breath.

"And you should be careful with that; you have a couple of broken ribs." Sam added, and Esther focused her attention on him. That was when the small smile on his face was replaced by a frown. "How are you feeling?"

"W-Where…?" Esther tried to speak, but her voice came out raspy. Sam did not even have to be told twice. He immediately reached out for a jar of water that had been placed on the bedside table, and filled a glass. Then, he stood up, but not before reaching out for a straw.

"Small sips." he instructed her, and Esther did what she was told. Before she could move her head, however, Sam put the straw on her lips. "You can't move yet. You have a neck injury. The doctor took the neck brace yesterday because he didn't want to risk weakening the muscles in your neck."

Unconsciously, Esther reached out for her neck. Then, her eyes widened in horror.

"Where's Jemma?" Esther would have found the sound of her raspy voice hilarious had she been in a completely different situation.

"She's safe." Sam told her before putting the glass aside. "Classified location, but she is safe."

Esther let out the breath she had been holding, her hand going down her throat to her chest. As soon as she did so, though, her eyes widened again. This time, however, Sam seemed to read her mind, and raised a hand in the air.

"That is also safe. Natasha has it." he told her before shaking his head. "Also, just in case you're wondering, you've got a concussion, an injured neck, dislocated shoulder, stitched leg, broken ribs… You'll probably feel a lot of back pain and strains… Do you feel like crap?"

"Yeah…" Esther answered before making a face. "I probably look like crap, no?"

"At least you're here." Sam told her, his hand resting on top of hers. "You gave us quite a scare, you know? You were in an out for a while, but when you blanked out completely… Pietro was really pissed off he couldn't bring you here because of your injuries."

Esther felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of the most recent Avenger. Six months had passed since last time she had seen him, after their horrible fight. Due to politics, she had been forbidden of contacting him, which made everything much worse.

"He's here?" Esther eventually managed to ask, and she saw Sam fighting back a smile.

"You probably don't know this, but you've been asleep for nearly two days." he told her. "I've actually just managed to convince him to go for a walk. I think he's going to be angry he wasn't here when you woke up."

"Sam…"

"Yeah, don't worry, I'll call him." the Falcon told her before standing up. When he straightened up, his smile vanished, and a serious expression appeared in his face. "This is the last time you gave me a scare, you hear me?"

"Sam…" Esther called him as she watched him reach out for his phone. "Thank you…"

"I'll always have your back, Doc, always." Sam told her, a tender smile on his face, which Esther tried to return. All of a sudden, there was a gust of wind, and Esther managed to turn her head a little in time to see Pietro walk inside. Sam looked down at his phone's screen before ending the call.

"I'll call the others." he said before leaving the room. Esther wanted to thank him one last time, but her voice died on her lips the moment her eyes met Pietro's. Her heart was racing, and Esther mentally hoped the machine next to her would not mimic her heartbeat.

"Pietro…" Esther barely whispered his name, and he was already standing next to her. He looked concerned, his clenched hands resting on his sides as he clenched his jaw. Esther swallowed hard, and licked her lips. She struggled to keep her eyes locked with his. "I… I'm sorry…"

"Esther…"

Her name left his lips in a whisper, like a broken prayer. Esther felt her eyes tearing up, but the burning pain in her chest forced her hold back her tears.

"I'm sorry…" Esther repeated, still trying to hold back the sobs that were bubbling in her stomach. She could feel her body shutting down again, the pain in her chest causing her consciousness to swing between being awake and falling asleep. "I'm so sorry…"

Suddenly, Pietro was resting his forehead against hers, his eyes locked with hers. His warm breath caressed her cheeks, singing a voiceless lullaby. Esther closed her eyes as she took in his scent, and her right hand reached out for his shirt, grasping it as tightly as she could.

"I'm here…" he whispered. "I'm sorry I didn't get to you on time…"

Esther parted her lips to speak, but Pietro's warmth was making her drowsy. She tried to increase her grip on his shirt, and slowly opened her eyes when she felt one of his hands surrounding hers.

"I missed you…" she eventually confessed, vaguely noticing how Pietro's face was out of focus. He squeezed her hand in reply, but did not break the eye-contact. His affectionate breath continued to kiss her face in a silent lullaby. "And… I'm sorry…"

"I'm here…" Pietro repeated in a tender voice, and Esther smiled softly at the sound of his accent. She had missed it so much… "I won't let you go."

Those small little words were all Esther needed to hear to allow herself to fall asleep again.

* * *

"So, what are we supposed to do?" Steve looked away from the window on his side as Sam walked inside the lounge. His surprise at seeing his friend there probably reflected on his face because Sam continued. "Pietro is with her. I'm pretty sure I can give them a few minutes."

"How is she?" Wanda asked as she stood up from the sofa, Vision standing next to her. Sam let out a sigh as he approached his friends.

"Not that good. She'll probably have to stay at the hospital for at least six weeks." he explained. "The doctor was surprised to find out she's already awake, but I think that's a good thing."

"That's good. I've talked to Fury; she's going to stay at the Avengers Hospital for now." Steve assured his closest friend, who nodded in silent thanks. "On the mean time, I asked Natasha to try to access the USB disk. Not sure if she managed to do it, though."

"I'm right here, you know?" Natasha asked as she looked up from the laptop, but she continued typing tremendously fast. "And since when do you doubt my hacker abilities?"

"Oh, I don't, but you have been taking your time with that disk." Steve pointed out, and Natasha rolled her eyes.

"First of all, I haven't been taking my time with this disk. Aside from a couple of bumps here and there, I have already accessed it. In fact, I'm pretty sure Doctor Cho is going to show up in a couple of minutes." Natasha informed the Captain. "And secondly, I was sending a text to Clint, letting him know how things are."

"I'm just wondering; why are we expecting Doctor Cho to come here?" Vision inquired as he tilted his head to the side. Unsurprisingly, Natasha just smirked at that, and Steve made his way towards her seat.

"What are you hiding?"

"Oh, I'm not hiding anything." Natasha informed him, her eyes once again locked with her computer's screen. "I've just found out that Doctor Lewis has been participating on a very interesting research along with her cousin, Doctor Simmons."

"I advise you, Agent Romanoff, to not say any other word." a new voice spoke up, and everyone watched as Helen Cho walked inside the lounge. Sam glanced at Natasha, and noticed the smirk was back to her lips. "Anything you've read is classified information."

"Oh don't worry; I'm not really interested in medical researches." Natasha told the doctor as she grabbed the USB disk. Then, she slowly crossed her legs underneath the table, and turned to Helen. "Still, I must say you working with such a dangerous serum is something that caught my attention."

"I repeat; everything on that disk is classified information, and above your clearance." Helen repeated with a serious look on her face before extending her hand towards Natasha. "You need to give it back to me."

"What about Doctor Lewis and Doctor Simmons?" Natasha inquired, now holding the disk against her chest. All of her friends knew she was just messing with the doctor, and Steve inclusively shook his head.

"What happens to my researchers is none of your business, Agent Romanoff." Helen informed her, but this time it was Wanda who spoke up.

"You've kind made it our business when you introduced her to our team." the young woman pointed out, crossing her arms against her chest. "And do I need to remind you I could make you do something quite unpleasant to yourself if you simply think about hurting Esther?"

"I am not going to hurt Doctor Lewis, she is vital to this research as is her cousin." Helen immediately told Wanda as she looked over her shoulder. "Nonetheless, this has nothing to do with you. Doctor Lewis will be tended personally by me."

"Oh, we know what happens to people who are taken care of by you." Sam commented all of a sudden, without moving from his spot. "I'd appreciate it if you let your other colleagues watch over her. You'll probably send Esther away for all I know if you take her under your wing."

"No one is sending anyone away." Helen told them, "At least not for the time being. However, we are losing precious time. I need that disk so that we may continue what Doctor Lewis and Doctor Simmons' started. Unless, of course, you want all of their efforts to go to waste?"

"Natasha…" Steve whispered after a few seconds, but the Black Widow did not even glance at him. Instead, she extended her arm, and Helen immediately took the USB disk from her hand, but not before receiving a smile from Natasha.

After glancing one last time at each member of the Avengers, Helen placed the disk inside her coat's pocket and left the room. When the sound of her footsteps faded away, Sam let out a sigh, and crossed his arms against his chest. He was about to speak up when his phone started ringing.

"I'll be right back." Sam said after glancing down at his phone's screen, and immediately left the room.

"What serum were you talking about?" Steve asked, not missing a beat, and Natasha looked at him over her shoulder.

"Not sure. You better remember I like to act like I know everything, Captain." the redheaded observed, and Steve actually shook his head at that. Wanda and Vision shared a look, and that was when Sam reappeared again.

"Steve," he called out, causing Captain America to turn to him. Sam's solemn expression caused Steve to frown. "It's about our missing person's case. I've got new leads."

Something vibrated in the air at those words. Natasha, Wanda and Vision looked at the two men, and noticed the way Steve clenched his jaw, his hands closing into tight fists. Natasha silently took in the way Steve tensed up at Sam's announcement before looking at the Falcon. Both Steve and Sam knew she had already figured out what they were talking about.

Sam finally had leads on James Buchanan Barnes.

It was time to take the show to the road.

"Wait, where are you going?" Wanda asked as both Sam and Steve got ready to leave without sharing a word. "What missing person case?"

"We'll tell you about it later." Steve pronounced, and Sam nodded before following Captain America out of the room. That was when Wanda and Vision turned to Natasha, who simply shrugged indifferently.

"Not going to say a word."

Wanda and Vision shared a look once again, but said nothing afterwards.

* * *

It was dark by the time Esther woke up. The morphine was doing a splendid work keeping the pain away, but she still felt tremendously numb and exhausted. It was almost as if no matter how much she slept, her body just did not seem to recover.

Moving her head, Esther had to fight back a smile when she spotted Pietro standing by the window, observing the gloomy sky. Between the glow of the dimmed lights inside the room, and the moonlight he looked like something ethereal.

Her heart clenched as Esther realised how much she had missed him.

Unfortunately, her throat was sore and scratchy, and even though she tried not to, Esther let out a cough. Pietro immediately turned her way, his eyes widening when he realised she was awake. He was by her side faster than a blink of an eye, a glass of water with a straw already in hand.

"…Thank you." Esther managed to say as Pietro placed the straw in her lips, and she took a sip. Pietro simply smiled back at her before putting the glass away when she was done. Then, his hand was on her forehead, thumb caressing her skin with gentle strokes.

"I went after you." Pietro spoke all of a sudden, and Esther blinked at his unexpected confession, "But believe me or not, I was late. By the time I got to the airport, you were already in the air."

"You…went after me?" Esther managed to ask, and Pietro surprised her with a chuckle.

"I did, but I was late." he repeated, and Esther had to hold back the laughter that was bubbling in her stomach. Instead, she managed to raise her right hand, and rested it on top of Pietro's since he was still touching her forehead. Pietro did not miss a beat, and entwined their fingers together, bringing her arm down to keep her comfortable.

"You're here now…" Esther told him, "That's all that matters."

"You're here too." Pietro said as he locked eyes with hers. "And I'm not letting you go again."

Esther felt Pietro gently squeezing her hand, his head moving closer until his forehead was touching hers. Esther closer her eyes as his scent surrounded her, his warmth a balm to her body. When she felt his other hand touching her cheek, Esther opened her eyes, and was immersed in Pietro's clear blue eyes.

"Esther, I…"

"Pietro." a new voice joined them, and Esther silently took in the way the man before her closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. Then, Pietro straightened up, and turned to his side without ever letting go of her hand. When Esther glanced at the door of the room, she was surprised when she saw both Steve and Sam standing there.

"We have a new mission." Steve said, "And we need your speed."

"You better go." added Sam, giving one step forward inside the room. Esther felt more than saw Pietro's hesitation. The other two avengers most likely noticed it as well because Sam promptly continued. "I'll make sure Esther is here when you return."

Pietro looked at her at those words, and Esther tried to smile warmly at him.

"I'm pretty sure I'm going to be here for a while." she said, squeezing his hand as she spoke. "We'll talk when you get back here. I promise I'll be here."

"You better be." Pietro told her turning to face her, this time holding her right hand with both his hands. "There's a lot we have to talk about."

Esther simply smiled at him, and Pietro winked at her before releasing her hands. Then, he turned, his eyes locking with Steve's.

"Lead the way." was all he said as he walked to the door, and while Steve nodded, Sam just stepped aside and watched them leave. When they were left alone, Sam turned to Esther, who noticed the smirk on his face.

"There's a lot we have to talk about." he repeated Pietro's words as he walked towards the bed, and Esther felt her whole face heat up in embarrassment. "What do you say if we talk about that?"

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Esther asked him, forcing herself to not look away because she knew Sam would only tease her even more if she did. Sam shook his head before sitting down on the chair that had been placed next to her bed.

"Nope, unfortunately for you, I have all the time in the world." he declared with a smirk. "And I would really like to know about those feelings of yours for our very own Quicksilver."

Esther tried to control her reddening cheeks at those words, and cleared her throat.

"Why do you want to know?"

She knew she had asked the wrong question the moment Sam's smirk widened.

"Oh, I just want to enjoy this." he told her, crossing both his arms and legs as he spoke, "At least, until winter comes."

 **The End**

* * *

 **Authoress Note:** _Wow_ is all I can say right now. To think I started this story back in 2015! I really cannot believe it has been two years already! Really, just, _wow!_ I want to thank everyone for sticking around for so long. I hope it was worth it. Also, like I said, I am thinking about writing a sequel, which will include a lot of Bucky for those who like his character. I don't have a title for it yet, because it's a work in progress, though.

Anyway, thank you so, so much for following Silver Ascension right to the end. I hope everyone enjoyed it. I most certainly had fun going on in this adventure!


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